Counseling Theories and Skills Flashcards

A client who grew up with an alcoholic parent and now over-functions to keep peace with their substance-using spouse is BEST described as exhibiting:

Answer: Codependency

Codependency involves excessive emotional or psychological reliance on a partner, often developed in families affected by addiction.

A counselor who uses 'motivational enhancement therapy' (MET) is applying which foundational model?

Answer: Motivational interviewing principles in a structured brief format

MET is a manualized, time-limited adaptation of Motivational Interviewing originally developed for Project MATCH.

Which of the following statements BEST describes the role of 'therapeutic alliance' in counseling outcomes for substance use disorders?

Answer: It is one of the strongest predictors of positive treatment outcomes

Research consistently shows that the quality of the therapeutic alliance is one of the most robust predictors of positive outcomes across treatment approaches.

A counselor practicing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) would help a client primarily by:

Answer: Helping the client accept difficult internal experiences and commit to values-based action

ACT focuses on psychological flexibility — accepting internal experiences rather than fighting them, and taking action consistent with personal values.

When a client says 'My counselor doesn't really understand what addiction is like,' a supervisor reviewing the case would FIRST consider whether:

Answer: The client may be experiencing transference or resistance

Such statements may reflect transference (projecting past relational experiences onto the counselor) or resistance to the therapeutic process.

Which of the following BEST describes 'motivational congruence' in substance use counseling?

Answer: Treatment interventions are matched to the client's stage of change and readiness

Motivational congruence means matching the counselor's approach and interventions to the client's current level of readiness and motivation for change.

A counselor who helps a client identify 'high-risk situations' for relapse and develop coping strategies is applying which model?

Answer: Relapse Prevention (RP) model by Marlatt and Gordon

Marlatt and Gordon's Relapse Prevention model focuses on identifying high-risk situations, building coping skills, and managing abstinence violation effects.