MFT Treatment Planning 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A mandated client is resistant to collaborating on treatment planning goals. The most ethical approach is to:
- Document the client's refusal and proceed with therapist-driven goals
- Explore the client's ambivalence and identify any personally meaningful goals within the mandated context (Correct answer)
- Terminate services immediately due to lack of motivation
- Report non-compliance to the referring agency without further engagement
Correct answer: Explore the client's ambivalence and identify any personally meaningful goals within the mandated context
Even with mandated clients, motivational approaches help identify the client's own goals within the mandated framework, increasing engagement.
Question 2: A treatment plan using Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) would most likely include goals that are:
- Focused on identifying and resolving the root causes of presenting problems
- Framed around exceptions to the problem and client strengths already in place (Correct answer)
- Organized around psychodynamic formulations of unconscious conflict
- Derived from standardized diagnostic criteria and symptom checklists
Correct answer: Framed around exceptions to the problem and client strengths already in place
SFBT treatment goals are built around exceptions—times when the problem is absent or less severe—and the client's existing competencies.
Question 3: When co-constructing a treatment plan with a family, a therapist discovers that family members have conflicting goals. The therapist should:
- Side with the family member whose goals align most closely with the DSM diagnosis
- Ignore individual differences and establish one unified goal for the family system
- Negotiate goals that acknowledge individual needs while identifying shared systemic objectives (Correct answer)
- Adjourn therapy until all members agree on identical goals
Correct answer: Negotiate goals that acknowledge individual needs while identifying shared systemic objectives
Effective systemic treatment planning balances individual member needs with shared relational and family-level goals.
Question 4: Which of the following is the most appropriate long-term goal for a couple experiencing chronic distress?
- Couple will argue less frequently
- Couple will demonstrate increased use of collaborative problem-solving skills as measured by therapist observation over 12 sessions (Correct answer)
- Couple will feel more connected to each other
- Couple will stop criticizing each other
Correct answer: Couple will demonstrate increased use of collaborative problem-solving skills as measured by therapist observation over 12 sessions
An effective long-term goal is measurable, observable, tied to a specific skill, and includes a method and timeframe for evaluation.
Question 5: In the context of MFT treatment planning, psychoeducation is best used as:
- The primary intervention for all presenting concerns
- An adjunct component that supports skill-building and normalizes experiences (Correct answer)
- A substitute for evidence-based therapeutic interventions
- A technique reserved for clients with lower educational backgrounds
Correct answer: An adjunct component that supports skill-building and normalizes experiences
Psychoeducation is a supportive component within a broader treatment plan, providing information that complements therapeutic interventions.
Question 6: A therapist is treating a same-sex couple and plans to use heteronormative couples therapy protocols without adaptation. This approach is problematic because it:
- Violates confidentiality standards by assuming shared experiences
- Fails to account for unique stressors such as minority stress, discrimination, and lack of social support (Correct answer)
- Is prohibited by most state licensure boards for same-sex couples
- Requires modification only if the couple requests it
Correct answer: Fails to account for unique stressors such as minority stress, discrimination, and lack of social support
Treatment plans for same-sex couples must be adapted to address minority stress, internalized stigma, and the absence of heteronormative social scripts.
Question 7: When a client discloses a new crisis (e.g., suicidal ideation) during a routine session, the therapist should:
- Continue with the existing treatment plan and address the crisis at the next scheduled session
- Shelve the treatment plan entirely and begin a new one from scratch
- Prioritize safety planning immediately and revisit and modify the treatment plan accordingly (Correct answer)
- Transfer the client to a crisis specialist without further treatment plan involvement
Correct answer: Prioritize safety planning immediately and revisit and modify the treatment plan accordingly
Crisis disclosure requires immediate safety planning as the priority, followed by integration of the new information into the treatment plan.
MFT Treatment Planning 4
A mandated client is resistant to collaborating on treatment planning goals.
The most ethical approach is to: