CAADC Group Counseling Techniques 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A group member with a history of trauma becomes visibly distressed when another member describes graphic details of past drug use. The MOST appropriate immediate intervention is:
- Gently interrupt and redirect the disclosing member while checking in with the distressed member (Correct answer)
- Allow the disclosure to continue so all members practice tolerating discomfort
- Remove the distressed member from the group immediately
- End the session and refer the distressed member to individual therapy
Correct answer: Gently interrupt and redirect the disclosing member while checking in with the distressed member
Trauma-informed group leadership requires protecting all members from retraumatization while maintaining group safety.
Question 2: In cognitive-behavioral group therapy for addiction, 'behavioral rehearsal' is used to:
- Practice new coping skills in a safe environment before applying them outside the group (Correct answer)
- Rehearse relapse scenarios to test member commitment to sobriety
- Role-play past drug-seeking behaviors to achieve catharsis
- Repeat psychoeducation content until it is memorized
Correct answer: Practice new coping skills in a safe environment before applying them outside the group
Behavioral rehearsal builds skill confidence and competence by practicing real-life coping situations within the group.
Question 3: Which stage of Tuckman's group development model is characterized by conflict, power struggles, and members testing limits?
- Storming (Correct answer)
- Forming
- Norming
- Performing
Correct answer: Storming
Storming involves interpersonal conflict as members vie for roles and challenge the counselor's authority before cohesion develops.
Question 4: A counselor notices that two members consistently sit together, share inside jokes, and undermine group norms. This is BEST described as:
- Subgroup formation, which should be addressed as a group process issue (Correct answer)
- Natural peer bonding that enhances group cohesion
- A therapeutic alliance between members that should be encouraged
- Transference toward one another that requires individual sessions
Correct answer: Subgroup formation, which should be addressed as a group process issue
Subgroups that exclude the broader group can undermine cohesion and should be explored openly as a group process.
Question 5: When a group member relapses between sessions and returns to disclose it, the counselor's PRIMARY goal is to:
- Create a non-shaming environment where the relapse is examined as learning material (Correct answer)
- Immediately discuss the member's discharge from the program
- Redirect focus to members who are maintaining sobriety
- Require the member to leave until they have 30 days of sobriety
Correct answer: Create a non-shaming environment where the relapse is examined as learning material
A non-punitive, curious response to relapse disclosure models the program's philosophy and encourages future honesty.
Question 6: Which ethical principle is MOST directly upheld when a counselor obtains written consent from all group members before audio-recording a session for supervision?
- Autonomy and respect for persons (Correct answer)
- Beneficence
- Nonmaleficence
- Fidelity
Correct answer: Autonomy and respect for persons
Obtaining informed consent before recording honors each member's right to make decisions about their own participation and privacy.
Question 7: A counselor co-leading a group notices that the other co-leader consistently sides with a particular member and rarely challenges them. The BEST course of action is to:
- Discuss the observation with the co-leader in private supervision or debrief (Correct answer)
- Confront the co-leader in front of the group to model transparency
- Take over all group leadership responsibilities immediately
- Report the co-leader to a supervisor without first speaking to them
Correct answer: Discuss the observation with the co-leader in private supervision or debrief
Addressing co-leader concerns privately first maintains a unified front and models the collaborative problem-solving expected in co-facilitation.
CAADC Group Counseling Techniques 5
A group member with a history of trauma becomes visibly distressed when another member describes graphic details of past drug use.
The MOST appropriate immediate intervention is: