RPT Ethics & Cultural Competency in Practice 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A play therapist is asked by a school to share session observations about a child without a signed release. The MOST appropriate response is to:
- Share general observations verbally since no written records are being released
- Decline to share any information until a properly signed release is obtained (Correct answer)
- Share information if the school administrator verbally assures confidentiality
- Provide a summary without identifying details to support the child's education
Correct answer: Decline to share any information until a properly signed release is obtained
Verbal disclosures of protected health information still require client authorization; sharing any identifying clinical information without a proper release violates confidentiality.
Question 2: Which BEST describes the 'duty to protect' in play therapy when a child discloses that a parent is threatening to harm the other parent?
- The duty applies only when the child is the potential victim
- The therapist must assess the seriousness of the threat and take protective action, which may include warning the potential victim (Correct answer)
- The duty does not apply because children's disclosures are not legally reliable
- The therapist should document the disclosure and revisit the issue next session
Correct answer: The therapist must assess the seriousness of the threat and take protective action, which may include warning the potential victim
Duty to protect obligations can extend to identifiable third parties who face serious, credible threats, requiring the therapist to take reasonable protective action even when the child is the source of the disclosure.
Question 3: A play therapist who is a member of a small faith community learns that a prospective client's family attends the same congregation. The MOST ethical step is to:
- Accept the referral since religious community ties are not professional relationships
- Evaluate the potential dual relationship and consider referring the family to another qualified therapist (Correct answer)
- Discuss the situation with the congregation leader for guidance
- Accept the referral but avoid discussing anything related to shared community life
Correct answer: Evaluate the potential dual relationship and consider referring the family to another qualified therapist
Overlapping community ties create potential dual relationships that may compromise objectivity; the therapist must carefully evaluate the risk and consider referral to protect client welfare.
Question 4: Cultural humility in play therapy MOST fundamentally involves:
- Completing a set number of multicultural training hours
- Ongoing self-reflection about one's own cultural biases and openness to learning from clients (Correct answer)
- Mastering the cultural practices of every population one serves
- Hiring interpreters for all sessions involving non-English-speaking families
Correct answer: Ongoing self-reflection about one's own cultural biases and openness to learning from clients
Cultural humility is an ongoing, lifelong process of self-examination, acknowledging one's own cultural limitations, and approaching clients as experts in their own cultural experience.
Question 5: A play therapist is asked to testify as a fact witness about a former client in a custody proceeding. The therapist SHOULD:
- Decline to testify as all clinical information is privileged
- Testify only about facts directly observed, without offering clinical opinions unless qualified as an expert (Correct answer)
- Provide a comprehensive clinical opinion to help the court make the best decision for the child
- Request that the former client waive privilege before agreeing to testify
Correct answer: Testify only about facts directly observed, without offering clinical opinions unless qualified as an expert
As a fact witness, the therapist may only testify about directly observed facts, not clinical opinions, and should clarify their role to the court if asked to offer opinions beyond their designated scope.
Question 6: A play therapist working with a child in foster care discovers the child's biological parent, who lacks legal custody, has been contacting the child directly. The therapist's FIRST ethical obligation is to:
- Immediately terminate the parent's visitation rights
- Report the contact to the child's legal guardian or foster care agency (Correct answer)
- Address the child's feelings about the contact in the next play therapy session
- Contact the biological parent to establish boundaries directly
Correct answer: Report the contact to the child's legal guardian or foster care agency
The therapist must inform the child's legal guardian or the relevant child welfare agency about unauthorized contact, as this directly affects the child's safety and the legal framework of their care.
Question 7: A play therapist is treating a 7-year-old who begins to disclose abuse during a sand tray session. The MOST appropriate therapeutic response is to:
- Stop the session immediately and begin a formal forensic interview
- Allow the child to disclose at their own pace using the play medium without leading questions (Correct answer)
- Ask detailed clarifying questions to gather complete information for the mandated report
- Redirect the child to positive play themes to reduce trauma activation
Correct answer: Allow the child to disclose at their own pace using the play medium without leading questions
During a disclosure in therapy, the therapist should allow the child to lead without asking suggestive or leading questions, as the play therapy setting is not the appropriate context for forensic interviewing.
RPT Ethics & Cultural Competency in Practice 4
A play therapist is asked by a school to share session observations about a child without a signed release.
The MOST appropriate response is to: