Child and Adolescent Therapy Flashcards
7 cards from real MFT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Child and Adolescent Therapy flashcards as text
A 7-year-old child repeatedly draws pictures of a house on fire during play therapy sessions. What is the most therapeutically appropriate initial response?
Answer: Reflect the child's affect and invite them to tell you about the drawing
In play therapy, the therapist follows the child's lead by reflecting affect and inviting narrative without imposing interpretations.
Which developmental theorist described adolescence as a stage marked by 'identity vs. role confusion'?
Answer: Erik Erikson
Erik Erikson identified identity vs. role confusion as the core psychosocial conflict of adolescence (ages 12–18).
A parent asks an MFT to share session notes from their 14-year-old's individual therapy. What should the therapist do first?
Answer: Consult the teen and balance their developmental autonomy with parental rights
Therapists working with minors must balance parental legal rights with the adolescent's developing autonomy and therapeutic alliance.
Which intervention is most consistent with Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for a traumatized child?
Answer: Psychoeducation, relaxation skills, and a trauma narrative
TF-CBT is a structured, evidence-based model that uses psychoeducation, coping skills, and a trauma narrative with parallel parent components.
An adolescent discloses marijuana use but denies any other risk factors. Using a harm reduction framework, the MFT's best initial step is to:
Answer: Explore the function of use and provide psychoeducation on risks
Harm reduction prioritizes engagement and education over abstinence mandates, exploring the role substances play in the adolescent's life.
In structural family therapy with a family that has an adolescent with conduct problems, the therapist would most likely focus on:
Answer: Strengthening the parental subsystem and clarifying generational boundaries
Structural family therapy targets dysfunctional hierarchies; strengthening the parental subsystem reestablishes appropriate authority and boundaries.
Which of the following best describes the concept of 'scaffolding' in child therapy adapted from Vygotsky's work?
Answer: Providing temporary support just beyond the child's current ability to promote growth
Vygotsky's scaffolding refers to the therapist or caregiver offering temporary support within the zone of proximal development to foster skill acquisition.