LPCC Counseling Theories and Techniques 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was originally developed to treat which population?
- Adults with schizophrenia
- Individuals with borderline personality disorder (Correct answer)
- Children with ADHD
- Veterans with PTSD
Correct answer: Individuals with borderline personality disorder
Marsha Linehan developed DBT specifically for chronically suicidal individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, later expanded to other populations.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes 'motivational interviewing' (MI)?
- A directive approach that prescribes behavior change steps
- A collaborative, person-centered style that elicits and strengthens a client's own motivation for change (Correct answer)
- A confrontational technique designed to break through denial
- A structured interview used for diagnostic assessment
Correct answer: A collaborative, person-centered style that elicits and strengthens a client's own motivation for change
MI is a collaborative, goal-oriented style of communication that draws out the client's own motivations and commitment to change, respecting autonomy and avoiding argumentation.
Question 3: In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), 'psychological flexibility' is best described as:
- The ability to change personality traits based on social demands
- Contacting the present moment and pursuing values-based action despite difficult thoughts and feelings (Correct answer)
- Eliminating negative automatic thoughts through cognitive restructuring
- Achieving a state of permanent mindfulness
Correct answer: Contacting the present moment and pursuing values-based action despite difficult thoughts and feelings
ACT defines psychological flexibility as the ability to be in contact with the present moment, accept inner experiences, and take committed action guided by personal values.
Question 4: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is primarily used to treat:
- Psychotic disorders
- Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Correct answer)
- Eating disorders
- Personality disorders
Correct answer: Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
EMDR, developed by Francine Shapiro, has strong empirical support specifically for processing traumatic memories and alleviating PTSD symptoms through bilateral stimulation.
Question 5: Which therapeutic technique involves systematically pairing a feared stimulus with relaxation responses to reduce anxiety?
- Flooding
- Systematic desensitization (Correct answer)
- Paradoxical intention
- Role reversal
Correct answer: Systematic desensitization
Systematic desensitization, developed by Joseph Wolpe, gradually exposes clients to feared stimuli while they practice relaxation, based on the principle of reciprocal inhibition.
Question 6: In narrative therapy, the technique of 'externalizing the problem' involves:
- Blaming external circumstances for the client's issues
- Separating the person from the problem so the client can take an empowered stance toward it (Correct answer)
- Disclosing the client's problems to significant others
- Analyzing how environmental factors caused the problem
Correct answer: Separating the person from the problem so the client can take an empowered stance toward it
Externalizing repositions the problem as a separate entity from the client's identity—'the problem is the problem, not the person'—enabling clients to examine and resist its influence.
Question 7: The 'empty chair technique' is most associated with which therapeutic modality?
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
- Gestalt Therapy (Correct answer)
- Psychoanalysis
- Behavioral Activation
Correct answer: Gestalt Therapy
The empty chair technique, a hallmark of Gestalt therapy, allows clients to engage in dialogue with absent persons or disowned parts of themselves to work through unfinished business.
LPCC Counseling Theories and Techniques 2
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was originally developed to treat which population?