LSP Therapeutic Interventions & Treatment Planning 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A therapist using Motivational Interviewing (MI) reflects ambivalence back to a client resistant to change. Which MI principle does this exemplify?
- Developing discrepancy
- Rolling with resistance (Correct answer)
- Expressing empathy
- Supporting self-efficacy
Correct answer: Rolling with resistance
Rolling with resistance involves avoiding argumentation and reflecting ambivalence rather than confronting it directly.
Question 2: Which component of a biopsychosocial assessment is MOST important when planning treatment for a client with comorbid major depressive disorder and Type 2 diabetes?
- Childhood attachment history
- Current medication regimen and medical management (Correct answer)
- Occupational functioning only
- Family genogram
Correct answer: Current medication regimen and medical management
Comorbid medical conditions directly affect treatment planning because medications and physiological factors can influence mood and treatment response.
Question 3: A treatment plan includes a goal to 'reduce anxiety.' According to best practice standards, what is the primary flaw with this goal?
- It is too ambitious
- It lacks measurable, observable criteria (SMART format) (Correct answer)
- Anxiety reduction is not a valid therapeutic target
- It should reference DSM-5 criteria instead
Correct answer: It lacks measurable, observable criteria (SMART format)
Effective treatment goals must be specific and measurable, not vague statements; SMART goals specify how progress will be observed and measured.
Question 4: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is considered the evidence-based treatment of choice for which primary diagnosis?
- Schizophrenia spectrum disorder
- Borderline personality disorder (Correct answer)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Specific phobia
Correct answer: Borderline personality disorder
DBT was developed by Marsha Linehan specifically for borderline personality disorder and has the strongest evidence base for this population.
Question 5: During trauma-focused therapy, a client begins to dissociate in session. The FIRST intervention priority should be:
- Continue trauma processing to work through the dissociation
- Use grounding techniques to restore present-moment awareness (Correct answer)
- Terminate the session immediately
- Increase session frequency to build tolerance
Correct answer: Use grounding techniques to restore present-moment awareness
Grounding techniques restore connection to the present moment and help stabilize the client before any trauma processing can safely continue.
Question 6: A licensed psychologist is treating a client using EMDR. After reprocessing a traumatic memory, the therapist installs a positive cognition. This phase is called:
- Desensitization
- Installation (Correct answer)
- Body scan
- Closure
Correct answer: Installation
The installation phase of EMDR reinforces the positive cognition using bilateral stimulation after desensitization has reduced distress.
Question 7: Which therapeutic modality is BEST supported by evidence for treating childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder?
- Play therapy alone
- Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) (Correct answer)
- Psychodynamic therapy
- Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
Correct answer: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
ERP, a form of CBT, is the gold-standard evidence-based treatment for OCD across the lifespan, including children.
LSP Therapeutic Interventions & Treatment Planning 2
A therapist using Motivational Interviewing (MI) reflects ambivalence back to a client resistant to change.
Which MI principle does this exemplify?