Conflict De-Escalation Techniques Flashcards
7 cards from real CART practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Conflict De-Escalation Techniques flashcards as text
Which of the following cognitive distortions most commonly escalates conflict and must be addressed in anger resolution therapy?
Answer: All of the above are commonly implicated in conflict escalation
Multiple cognitive distortions — including all those listed — can fuel escalation by distorting how conflict triggers are interpreted.
A client states: 'When I feel attacked, I shut down completely and can't speak.' This describes which conflict response pattern?
Answer: Stonewalling
Stonewalling is emotional and communicative withdrawal, often triggered by flooding, and is one of Gottman's Four Horsemen of relationship conflict.
The de-escalation strategy of 'pacing and leading' involves:
Answer: Matching the client's current emotional state first, then gradually guiding them toward calm
Pacing and leading (NLP-origin) means first matching affect to build rapport, then gradually shifting to calmer affect that the client begins to follow.
Which question type is most useful for de-escalating a client who is locked in blame?
Answer: Circular or future-focused questions to shift perspective
Circular and future-focused questions (e.g., 'What would things look like if this resolved?') disrupt rigid blame thinking and open new perspectives.
Cultural competence in conflict de-escalation requires a therapist to:
Answer: Recognize that expressions of conflict and acceptable resolution styles vary across cultures
Cultural norms shape how anger is expressed, what feels disrespectful, and what counts as resolution — ignoring this undermines effective de-escalation.
A therapist working with a client who has a history of trauma must be aware that de-escalation techniques may:
Answer: Trigger trauma responses if they involve touch, proximity, or certain tones
Trauma survivors may have sensitized threat responses where well-intentioned de-escalation (such as close proximity or firm tone) activates rather than calms.
After a successful de-escalation, the most important next clinical step is to:
Answer: Process what happened, identify triggers, and build a relapse-prevention plan
Processing the escalation event while calm builds insight into triggers and equips clients with strategies for future conflicts.