RPT Ethics & Cultural Competency in Practice 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A play therapist receives a subpoena for a child client's treatment records. The MOST appropriate initial response is to:
- Immediately comply and release all records to avoid legal consequences
- Contact the client's attorney or guardian and consult with legal counsel before releasing records (Correct answer)
- Refuse to comply on the basis of therapeutic privilege
- Notify the court that confidentiality laws prevent any disclosure
Correct answer: Contact the client's attorney or guardian and consult with legal counsel before releasing records
A subpoena does not automatically override confidentiality; the therapist should consult legal counsel and, where applicable, the client's guardian or attorney before releasing records.
Question 2: Which of the following BEST describes the concept of 'assent' in play therapy with children?
- The legal consent provided by parents or guardians for their child's treatment
- The child's voluntary agreement to participate in treatment, appropriate to their developmental level (Correct answer)
- A written contract between the therapist and child outlining confidentiality
- Permission obtained from the school to conduct play therapy on school premises
Correct answer: The child's voluntary agreement to participate in treatment, appropriate to their developmental level
Assent refers to a developmentally appropriate process of explaining therapy to the child and seeking their willing participation, distinct from the legal consent provided by guardians.
Question 3: A play therapist working with a refugee child notices the child's drawing repeatedly depicts scenes of violence. Cultural competence requires the therapist to FIRST:
- File an immediate abuse report based on the violent imagery
- Interpret the drawings through the lens of the child's trauma and cultural background before drawing conclusions (Correct answer)
- Avoid discussing the drawings to prevent retraumatization
- Administer a standardized trauma assessment using English-language norms
Correct answer: Interpret the drawings through the lens of the child's trauma and cultural background before drawing conclusions
Culturally competent trauma-informed practice requires understanding that a refugee child's violent imagery likely reflects witnessed or experienced war trauma, not current abuse, and should be understood within that context.
Question 4: According to the APT Code of Ethics, play therapists must obtain informed consent PRIMARILY to:
- Protect the therapist from legal liability
- Respect client autonomy and ensure clients can make knowledgeable decisions about treatment (Correct answer)
- Satisfy insurance and billing requirements
- Document that treatment goals have been reviewed
Correct answer: Respect client autonomy and ensure clients can make knowledgeable decisions about treatment
Informed consent is fundamentally an ethical requirement that honors client autonomy by ensuring clients understand the nature of treatment, risks, benefits, and alternatives.
Question 5: A play therapist working with an Asian American family notices the parents are reluctant to discuss the child's emotional struggles openly. The therapist should recognize this MOST likely reflects:
- Resistance to treatment that requires motivational interviewing
- Cultural values around privacy, family honor, and stigma related to mental health (Correct answer)
- Inadequate parental involvement requiring a family therapy referral
- Avoidant attachment patterns in the parental subsystem
Correct answer: Cultural values around privacy, family honor, and stigma related to mental health
Many Asian American families hold cultural values around privacy and family reputation that can create reluctance to openly discuss mental health, which the culturally competent therapist should recognize and address sensitively.
Question 6: A play therapist who is experiencing significant personal stress notices it is affecting their clinical judgment. The MOST ethical response is to:
- Continue working while increasing supervision frequency
- Reduce caseload without informing supervisors to avoid stigma
- Seek personal therapy, consult with supervisors, and limit practice if impairment persists (Correct answer)
- Disclose the stress to clients so they understand any changes in the therapist's behavior
Correct answer: Seek personal therapy, consult with supervisors, and limit practice if impairment persists
Ethical codes require therapists to monitor their own wellness, seek appropriate help, and limit or suspend practice if personal difficulties impair their ability to provide competent care.
Question 7: When adapting play therapy materials for a child from a low socioeconomic background, the MOST culturally competent approach is to:
- Use only standardized commercial play therapy kits to ensure validity
- Incorporate culturally familiar, accessible materials that reflect the child's lived experience (Correct answer)
- Avoid all toys that could highlight socioeconomic differences
- Use the same materials as with all clients to ensure treatment equality
Correct answer: Incorporate culturally familiar, accessible materials that reflect the child's lived experience
Culturally responsive practice includes using materials that are meaningful and familiar to the child's cultural and economic background to enhance therapeutic engagement and relevance.
RPT Ethics & Cultural Competency in Practice 3
A play therapist receives a subpoena for a child client's treatment records.
The MOST appropriate initial response is to: