MAC Group Therapy 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a closed addiction recovery group, a member asks to bring a close friend to the next session for support. The leader should:
- Allow it if the group votes in favor of the guest attending
- Decline and explain how closed group membership protects confidentiality and group cohesion (Correct answer)
- Allow the guest as a one-time exception without informing other members
- Refer the friend to their own separate counseling
Correct answer: Decline and explain how closed group membership protects confidentiality and group cohesion
Closed groups require consistent membership to build trust and cohesion; admitting non-members violates boundaries and confidentiality agreements.
Question 2: Which Yalom curative factor involves a member learning new ways of relating to others by observing and interacting within the group?
- Catharsis
- Interpersonal learning (Correct answer)
- Imparting information
- Existential factors
Correct answer: Interpersonal learning
Interpersonal learning occurs as members use the group as a social microcosm to practice and develop healthier relational patterns.
Question 3: A counselor notices that one group member consistently remains silent while others dominate discussion. The MOST appropriate intervention is to:
- Pair the silent member with a dominant speaker for a private conversation
- Remove the silent member from the group for individual counseling instead
- Gently invite the quiet member's perspective without putting them on the spot (Correct answer)
- Ignore the dynamic as some members prefer to be observers
Correct answer: Gently invite the quiet member's perspective without putting them on the spot
Gently inviting participation respects the member's autonomy while ensuring their voice is valued and the group dynamic is balanced.
Question 4: The BEST rationale for using structured exercises in addiction group therapy is that they:
- Replace the need for a trained facilitator
- Reduce the leader's responsibility for managing group dynamics
- Provide a predictable framework that reduces anxiety and promotes skill practice (Correct answer)
- Ensure all members share equal amounts of personal content
Correct answer: Provide a predictable framework that reduces anxiety and promotes skill practice
Structured exercises reduce ambiguity, lower defensive anxiety, and create focused opportunities for skill building and therapeutic engagement.
Question 5: When a group member repeatedly monopolizes sessions with lengthy, unfocused sharing, the leader's BEST intervention is:
- Ask the member to submit written summaries instead of speaking
- Gently interrupt, summarize what was shared, and redirect to the group (Correct answer)
- Allow the behavior to avoid damaging the therapeutic alliance
- Ask other group members to confront the monopolizing behavior themselves
Correct answer: Gently interrupt, summarize what was shared, and redirect to the group
Interrupting respectfully, summarizing, and redirecting preserves the member's dignity while restoring equitable group participation.
Question 6: In a DBT-based addiction group, the primary goal of the 'distress tolerance' module is to:
- Teach members to eliminate all distressing emotions permanently
- Help members tolerate painful emotions without resorting to substance use (Correct answer)
- Identify and resolve the root causes of emotional distress
- Train members to avoid high-risk situations at all costs
Correct answer: Help members tolerate painful emotions without resorting to substance use
Distress tolerance skills in DBT enable individuals to survive emotional crises without making them worse through substance use or other harmful behaviors.
Question 7: A group leader who discloses personal recovery experience to the group is engaging in:
- Countertransference acting out
- Therapeutic self-disclosure, which requires careful clinical judgment (Correct answer)
- An ethical violation that should be reported to a licensing board
- Peer support rather than professional counseling
Correct answer: Therapeutic self-disclosure, which requires careful clinical judgment
Self-disclosure of personal recovery can build rapport and normalize the recovery journey but must be used judiciously to keep the focus on the client's therapeutic needs.
MAC Group Therapy 4
In a closed addiction recovery group, a member asks to bring a close friend to the next session for support.
The leader should: