Counseling Skills Flashcards

Group therapy in substance use treatment is effective primarily because it:

Answer: Provides peer support, reduces isolation, and offers a setting to practice new skills

Group therapy leverages universal benefits such as peer support, normalization of experience, hope, and interpersonal skill development.

A counselor notices a client becoming angry and withdrawing during a group session about relapse. The best response is to:

Answer: Acknowledge the client's reaction with a brief check-in and allow them to participate at their own pace

Acknowledging the reaction non-intrusively respects the client's autonomy while maintaining safety and group cohesion.

The technique of 'rolling with resistance' in Motivational Interviewing means:

Answer: Avoiding argumentation by reflecting resistance back without confrontation

Rolling with resistance involves acknowledging the client's perspective without arguing, which reduces defensiveness and preserves autonomy.

When using the decisional balance technique, the counselor asks the client to explore:

Answer: The pros and cons of both changing and not changing

Decisional balance helps clients articulate both the advantages and disadvantages of their current behavior and potential change.

Which statement about 12-step facilitation therapy is accurate?

Answer: It is an evidence-based approach that encourages engagement with AA or NA as a supplement to professional treatment

12-step facilitation is a structured, evidence-based counseling approach that helps clients connect with and benefit from 12-step mutual aid programs.

Active listening in substance use counseling includes all of the following EXCEPT:

Answer: Offering unsolicited advice before the client finishes speaking

Active listening requires attending to the client without interruption; offering unsolicited advice prematurely disrupts the therapeutic process.