Marital and Family 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 Marital and Family Therapy flashcards as text
A husband and wife report conflict over parenting styles. The therapist observes that whenever the topic arises, the wife looks to her mother (who lives with them) for validation. This most likely reflects a:
Answer: Triangulation involving the mother as a stabilizing third party
The wife drawing the mother into the marital dyad to manage tension is a classic triangulation pattern in family systems theory.
A therapist is treating a couple in which one partner has disclosed domestic violence. According to best practice, the MFT should:
Answer: Immediately terminate couples therapy and refer both partners to individual services
Conjoint couples therapy is contraindicated in active domestic violence situations because it can increase victim risk; individual services for each partner are recommended.
The 'miracle question' in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is designed to:
Answer: Help clients envision life without the problem to identify goals
The miracle question helps clients construct a detailed vision of their preferred future as if the problem were suddenly resolved, clarifying therapeutic goals.
According to the AAMFT Code of Ethics, sexual contact with a former client is:
Answer: Always prohibited regardless of time elapsed
The AAMFT Code of Ethics prohibits sexual contact with former clients at any time, without exception.
In Minuchin's Structural Family Therapy, the goal of 'joining' is to:
Answer: Accommodate to the family's style and build therapeutic rapport before restructuring
Joining means adapting to the family's communication style and culture to build trust before using restructuring techniques.
A family therapist working with a blended family should prioritize which systemic understanding early in treatment?
Answer: The couple subsystem must be strengthened before stepparent-child bonds develop
Research on stepfamily development shows the couple subsystem must be stable before the stepparent can effectively bond with stepchildren.
A therapist sees siblings together for the first time and one child begins crying and states the family always blames them for everything. The therapist's best systemic response is to:
Answer: Explore with the family how each member experiences this pattern and their role in it
A systemic approach explores how all family members participate in and are affected by the identified pattern rather than placing blame on one member.