CPCE General Practice 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT), the 'miracle question' is used to:
- Help clients identify unconscious conflicts
- Guide clients to envision life without their presenting problem (Correct answer)
- Challenge cognitive distortions about the future
- Assess the severity of the client's symptoms
Correct answer: Guide clients to envision life without their presenting problem
The miracle question asks clients to imagine waking up and finding their problem has disappeared, helping them articulate their goals and preferred future without the problem.
Question 2: Which statistic describes the middle value in a distribution of scores when arranged in order?
- Mean
- Mode
- Median (Correct answer)
- Standard deviation
Correct answer: Median
The median is the middle value in a ranked dataset, dividing the distribution into equal halves and remaining unaffected by extreme scores.
Question 3: A counselor working with a client who has PTSD uses exposure therapy. This approach is rooted in which theoretical framework?
- Psychoanalytic theory
- Humanistic theory
- Behavioral theory (Correct answer)
- Existential theory
Correct answer: Behavioral theory
Exposure therapy is a behavioral technique based on classical conditioning principles, where repeated exposure to feared stimuli reduces the conditioned fear response through extinction.
Question 4: Which ethical principle refers to the counselor's obligation to avoid causing harm to clients?
- Autonomy
- Beneficence
- Nonmaleficence (Correct answer)
- Fidelity
Correct answer: Nonmaleficence
Nonmaleficence is the ethical obligation to 'do no harm,' requiring counselors to avoid actions that could negatively affect the wellbeing of clients.
Question 5: A counselor establishes a business relationship with a current client. This is an example of:
- A dual relationship (Correct answer)
- Appropriate role expansion
- Boundary crossing
- Collaborative practice
Correct answer: A dual relationship
A dual relationship occurs when the counselor holds multiple roles with a client simultaneously, which can create conflicts of interest and compromise objectivity and client welfare.
Question 6: In structural family therapy, the concept of 'triangulation' refers to:
- A three-phase approach to family intervention
- A third party being drawn into a two-person conflict to reduce tension (Correct answer)
- The use of three different therapeutic modalities
- A family map showing three generations of relationship patterns
Correct answer: A third party being drawn into a two-person conflict to reduce tension
Triangulation occurs when a dyad (usually a couple) draws in a third person, often a child, to reduce tension in their relationship, creating an unhealthy coalition.
Question 7: The ACA Code of Ethics requires counselors to practice within their:
- Preferred theoretical orientation
- Areas of personal interest
- Boundaries of competence (Correct answer)
- Licensed scope of practice as defined by the state
Correct answer: Boundaries of competence
The ACA Code of Ethics mandates that counselors practice only within their boundaries of competence, based on their education, training, supervised experience, and credentials.
CPCE General Practice 4
In solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT), the 'miracle question' is used to: