Treatment and Intervention Flashcards

A client with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) has a compulsion to wash their hands for exactly 10 minutes after touching any public surface. A psychologist works with the client to gradually touch surfaces (like a doorknob) and then refrain from washing their hands for increasing amounts of time. This specific CBT technique is best identified as:

Answer: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the first-line psychotherapeutic treatment for OCD. It involves two core components: directly confronting the obsession-triggering stimuli (exposure) and refraining from the compulsive ritual (response prevention). [3, 9, 10] In this scenario, touching the doorknob is the exposure, and refraining from hand washing is the response prevention.

During group therapy, a new member expresses shame about their struggles with social anxiety, only to hear several other members share similar experiences and feelings of isolation. The new member reports feeling a sense of relief, stating, "I can't believe I'm not the only one." According to Irvin Yalom, which therapeutic factor is primarily at play?

Answer: Universality

Universality is the therapeutic factor that describes the process of clients learning they are not alone in their problems. [2, 15] Realizing that others share similar struggles helps to decrease feelings of isolation and shame, which is a powerful healing agent in group therapy.

A family therapist observes that whenever the parents begin to argue, their 10-year-old son misbehaves, effectively diverting the parents' attention from their conflict onto him. From a structural family therapy perspective, what is this pattern an example of?

Answer: Triangulation

Triangulation is a concept from family systems theory where a third person is drawn into a conflict between two others to diffuse tension. [12, 27] In this case, the child's misbehavior serves to stabilize the parental dyad by shifting the focus of the conflict away from their marital issues and onto the child.

A psychologist practicing client-centered therapy strives to provide an environment where the client feels fully accepted and supported, regardless of what they say or do. Which of Carl Rogers' core conditions does this BEST describe?

Answer: Unconditional Positive Regard

Unconditional Positive Regard is the Rogerian concept of offering non-judgmental acceptance, warmth, and respect to the client, which is believed to facilitate growth. [1, 6, 11] Empathy is understanding the client's perspective, congruence is the therapist's genuineness, and self-actualization is the client's ultimate goal, not a condition provided by the therapist.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), developed by Marsha Linehan, is an evidence-based treatment particularly effective for Borderline Personality Disorder. A core component of DBT involves teaching clients skills in four key areas. Which of the following is NOT one of the four primary DBT skills modules?

Answer: Cognitive Restructuring

The four core skills modules of DBT are Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Interpersonal Effectiveness, and Emotion Regulation. [16, 20, 22] While DBT has cognitive elements, "Cognitive Restructuring" as a formal module is more central to traditional CBT. DBT focuses more on accepting thoughts and feelings (mindfulness) rather than directly challenging and changing them.

During therapy, a client begins to express intense, unwarranted anger towards their therapist whenever the therapist sets a boundary, such as ending the session on time. The client's reaction is reminiscent of how they described their relationship with a critical and controlling parent. This phenomenon is BEST identified as:

Answer: Transference

Transference is a key psychodynamic concept where the client unconsciously redirects feelings and attitudes from a person in their past (e.g., a parent) onto the therapist. [7, 17, 23] Countertransference would be the therapist's emotional reaction to the client. Projection is attributing one's own unacceptable feelings to another. Resistance is a broader term for opposing the therapeutic process, but transference specifically describes this redirection of past feelings.