BAPSY Therapeutic Techniques & Counseling 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes 'motivational enhancement therapy' (MET)?
- A long-term psychodynamic approach to addiction
- A brief, client-centered intervention using personalized feedback to increase motivation (Correct answer)
- A behavioral contract system for substance abuse treatment
- Group-based cognitive therapy for motivation deficits
Correct answer: A brief, client-centered intervention using personalized feedback to increase motivation
MET combines motivational interviewing with structured feedback from assessment tools to rapidly build intrinsic motivation for change.
Question 2: A counselor notices that a client consistently arrives late and 'forgets' homework. From a psychodynamic perspective, this is most likely an example of:
- Poor time management skills
- Resistance (Correct answer)
- Secondary gain
- Transference
Correct answer: Resistance
In psychodynamic therapy, patterns that interfere with treatment are interpreted as resistance—unconscious opposition to therapeutic change.
Question 3: In acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), 'psychological flexibility' is defined as the ability to:
- Change one's personality to fit different social situations
- Contact the present moment fully and persist or change behavior in service of valued ends (Correct answer)
- Tolerate high levels of distress without any negative reactions
- Rapidly shift between different therapeutic frameworks
Correct answer: Contact the present moment fully and persist or change behavior in service of valued ends
ACT's central goal is psychological flexibility: full contact with the present moment and behaving effectively in pursuit of one's values.
Question 4: A therapist working with a depressed client assigns them to schedule and complete pleasurable activities each day. This technique is called:
- Activity scheduling / behavioral activation (Correct answer)
- Thought stopping
- Contingency management
- Response cost
Correct answer: Activity scheduling / behavioral activation
Behavioral activation targets depression by increasing engagement in rewarding activities, interrupting the withdrawal-depression cycle.
Question 5: Which stage of the transtheoretical model (Prochaska) describes a person who has recently made changes and is working to prevent relapse?
- Preparation
- Action
- Maintenance (Correct answer)
- Contemplation
Correct answer: Maintenance
The maintenance stage begins approximately six months after initial change and focuses on sustaining gains and preventing relapse.
Question 6: A counselor working with a couple uses 'softened startup' as an intervention. This technique is most associated with which approach?
- Emotionally focused therapy
- The Gottman Method (Correct answer)
- Imago relationship therapy
- Structural family therapy
Correct answer: The Gottman Method
The Gottman Method teaches softened startup to replace critical or harsh conversation openers that predict relationship deterioration.
Question 7: When a therapist self-discloses personal information to normalize a client's experience, this is best described as:
- Countertransference acting out
- Appropriate self-disclosure for therapeutic purpose (Correct answer)
- A violation of professional boundaries
- Projection
Correct answer: Appropriate self-disclosure for therapeutic purpose
Judicious self-disclosure used intentionally to benefit the client (e.g., to reduce shame or increase rapport) is an ethical technique when used sparingly.
BAPSY Therapeutic Techniques & Counseling 4
Which of the following best describes 'motivational enhancement therapy' (MET)?