NCE National Counselor Exam Prep 5

Question 1

In structural family therapy (Minuchin), 'enmeshment' refers to:

Accepted Answer

Overly diffuse boundaries where members are excessively intertwined

Answer

Enmeshment describes families with blurred boundaries where individual autonomy is sacrificed for togetherness.

Question 2

A counselor practicing Gestalt therapy asks a client to 'speak to' an empty chair. This technique is used to:

Accepted Answer

Help the client process unfinished business with someone significant

Answer

The empty-chair technique allows clients to express feelings and complete unresolved emotional dialogues with others or with parts of themselves.

Question 3

Which level of Maslow's hierarchy must generally be met before esteem needs can be fully addressed?

Accepted Answer

Belongingness and love needs

Answer

Maslow's hierarchy places belongingness and love needs (level 3) immediately below esteem needs (level 4), so social connection typically precedes self-esteem development.

Question 4

A school counselor notices a student's academic performance has sharply declined. Before concluding the cause is emotional, the counselor should first:

Accepted Answer

Rule out learning disabilities or medical factors through appropriate assessment

Answer

A comprehensive assessment approach requires ruling out academic or medical contributors before attributing performance decline solely to emotional causes.

Question 5

The term 'vicarious traumatization' describes:

Accepted Answer

Cumulative transformation in a counselor's worldview from repeated exposure to clients' trauma

Answer

Vicarious traumatization is a fundamental shift in a counselor's core beliefs and worldview resulting from empathic engagement with traumatized clients over time.

NCE Exam Practice Test

NCE Exam Practice Test

NCE National Counselor Exam Prep 5