CBT Client Assessment & Case Conceptualization Flashcards
6 cards from real CBT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 CBT Client Assessment & Case Conceptualization flashcards as text
In CBT case conceptualization, what are 'maintaining factors'?
Answer: Current thoughts, behaviors, or environmental responses that keep the problem going
Maintaining factors are the ongoing cognitive and behavioral patterns — such as avoidance or rumination — that perpetuate the client's difficulties in the present.
Which of the following is an example of a 'core belief' in CBT assessment?
Answer: 'I am fundamentally unlovable'
Core beliefs are global, rigid, and absolute statements about the self, others, or the world that develop early in life and filter experience.
A CBT therapist uses the PHQ-9 during intake. What does this measure?
Answer: Depression severity using nine DSM-aligned symptom questions
The PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) assesses nine depression criteria aligned with DSM standards and is a widely validated brief screener.
What distinguishes a 'precipitating factor' from a 'predisposing factor' in a CBT conceptualization?
Answer: Precipitating factors are the recent triggers that activated the problem; predisposing factors are earlier vulnerabilities
Predisposing factors (e.g., early adverse experiences) create vulnerability, while precipitating factors (e.g., a recent loss) trigger the current episode.
During assessment, a client scores high on the GAD-7. Which condition does this scale specifically screen for?
Answer: Generalized anxiety disorder
The GAD-7 is a seven-item self-report scale validated to screen for and measure the severity of generalized anxiety disorder.
When a Certified Belief Therapist shares the case conceptualization with a client, what is the expected therapeutic effect?
Answer: It helps the client feel understood and provides a rationale that normalizes their struggles and guides change
Sharing the conceptualization collaboratively fosters the therapeutic alliance, reduces shame, and gives the client a cognitive map for understanding their own patterns.