Therapeutic Approaches Flashcards
7 cards from real PMH-C practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Therapeutic Approaches flashcards as text
A postpartum client with a history of childhood trauma is reluctant to discuss her past. Which therapeutic stance is most appropriate?
Answer: Use a trauma-informed, paced approach that prioritizes safety and client autonomy
Trauma-informed care prioritizes safety, trustworthiness, and client autonomy, proceeding at the client's pace without forcing trauma disclosure.
What is the role of psychoeducation in treating perinatal anxiety disorders?
Answer: It normalizes symptoms, reduces stigma, and helps clients understand the rationale for treatment
Psychoeducation normalizes perinatal mental health symptoms, reduces stigma, and helps clients understand their condition and the evidence base for recommended treatments.
Which adaptation makes standard Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) particularly useful for high-risk perinatal clients?
Answer: DBT's emphasis on distress tolerance and emotion regulation skills for crisis management
DBT's core skills of distress tolerance and emotion regulation are particularly valuable for high-risk perinatal clients who struggle with emotional crises and self-harm urges.
A perinatal therapist incorporates mindfulness practices into treatment. What is the primary mechanism by which mindfulness reduces perinatal depression?
Answer: Mindfulness promotes decentering, allowing clients to observe thoughts without over-identifying with them
Mindfulness promotes decentering or cognitive defusion—the ability to observe thoughts as mental events rather than facts, reducing their emotional impact.
When adapting therapy for a perinatal client, which scheduling modification is considered best practice?
Answer: Offering flexible scheduling, home visits, or telehealth options to reduce access barriers
Flexible scheduling, home-based services, and telehealth options are best practices for reducing access barriers unique to the perinatal period.
A postpartum client reports feeling disconnected from her baby. Which therapeutic approach specifically targets maternal reflective functioning?
Answer: Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) or Watch Wait and Wonder
Mentalization-Based Treatment and Watch Wait and Wonder specifically enhance maternal reflective functioning—the capacity to understand the infant as having a mind with intentions and feelings.
In perinatal Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, what is behavioral activation primarily used to treat?
Answer: Postpartum depression by increasing engagement in meaningful activities
Behavioral activation targets depression by scheduling and engaging in pleasurable or meaningful activities to break the cycle of withdrawal and low mood.