NCMHCE Skills and Interventions 2

Question 1

A client with PTSD reports hypervigilance and difficulty sleeping. Which intervention is most evidence-based for this presentation?

Accepted Answer

Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy

Answer

Prolonged Exposure therapy is an evidence-based treatment for PTSD that directly addresses hyperarousal and avoidance symptoms.

Question 2

During a session, a client becomes dissociative. The most appropriate immediate counselor response is to:

Accepted Answer

Use grounding techniques to reorient the client

Answer

Grounding techniques (e.g., 5-4-3-2-1 sensory method) help reorient a dissociating client to the present moment.

Question 3

A counselor uses the Socratic questioning technique. This is most associated with which therapeutic approach?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Answer

Socratic questioning is a core CBT technique used to challenge and examine the validity of automatic thoughts.

Question 4

A client describes feeling 'numb' and disconnected from emotions after a traumatic event. The counselor should prioritize:

Accepted Answer

Psychoeducation about emotional numbing as a trauma response

Answer

Emotional numbing is a common trauma response, and normalizing it through psychoeducation reduces shame and builds therapeutic alliance.

Question 5

Which motivational interviewing skill involves the counselor summarizing the client's ambivalence and change talk to reinforce motivation?

Accepted Answer

Summaries

Answer

Summaries in MI collect and reinforce change talk, helping clients hear their own arguments for change.

NCMHCE - National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination Practice Test