TCC Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield TCC facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. What is the focus of solution-focused brief therapy? → Building on strengths and solutions
2. What does differential diagnosis involve? → Ruling out other possible conditions
3. A counselor who uses scaling questions ('On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you?') is most likely practicing which approach? → Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
4. According to the DSM-5, how many criteria must be met within a 12-month period to diagnose a substance use disorder? → At least 2 of 11 criteria
5. Under HIPAA and Texas law, a 'minimum necessary' standard for disclosing Protected Health Information (PHI) means: → Disclosing only the PHI needed to accomplish the intended purpose
6. The 12-step program model of recovery originated with which organization? → Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
7. A Texas LPC receives a subpoena for a client's counseling records. What is the MOST appropriate initial step? → Notify the client and consult an attorney before releasing records
8. The Strong Interest Inventory is built around which theoretical framework? → Holland's RIASEC model
9. What should a counselor do if a client threatens harm to another person? → Warn the intended victim or appropriate authority
10. A Texas school counselor wants to build trust with recently arrived Central American families. The MOST effective initial step is: → Hosting a community outreach event in collaboration with trusted community organizations
11. Which term describes the developmental concept that children can hold two contradictory ideas simultaneously, mastered in Piaget's concrete operational stage? → Conservation
12. Which counseling theory emphasizes 'here-and-now' awareness and the integration of fragmented parts of the self? → Gestalt therapy
13. In Texas counseling settings, which practice BEST supports linguistically diverse clients who have limited English proficiency? → Providing translated informed consent documents and offering interpreter services
14. In Prochaska's Transtheoretical Model, the Action stage is best characterized by which of the following? → Actively modifying behavior for less than 6 months
15. In Gottfredson's Theory of Circumscription and Compromise, at what stage do children begin eliminating career options based on gender-role stereotypes? → Stage 2 (ages 6–8): Orientation to sex roles
16. The ASGW Best Practice Guidelines recommend that group counselors conduct pre-group screening primarily to: → Assess member suitability and prepare clients for group participation
17. What is a dual relationship in counseling? → Being both counselor and employer
18. Which career theory introduced the concept of 'happenstance' — the idea that unplanned events should be embraced as career opportunities? → Planned Happenstance Theory by Mitchell, Levin, and Krumboltz
19. What is the primary ethical concern a group counselor must address regarding confidentiality? → Counselors cannot guarantee that other group members will keep information confidential
20. Which of the following best describes the 'harm reduction' approach in addiction counseling? → Reducing the negative consequences of substance use without requiring abstinence
21. When using a cognitive-behavioral approach in group counseling, the leader would most likely structure sessions to include which element? → Homework assignments to practice skills between sessions
22. Which technique in Gestalt therapy involves the client speaking to an empty chair to work through unfinished business? → Empty chair technique
23. Which Texas agency requires school counselors to document and report program outcomes as part of the District Improvement Plan process? → Texas Education Agency (TEA)
24. The WDEP system used in Reality Therapy stands for Wants, Doing, Evaluation, and: → Planning
25. In mental health counseling, the term 'dual diagnosis' refers to a client who has: → Both a substance use disorder and a co-occurring mental health disorder
26. Which family therapy approach uses 'triangulation' as a key concept to explain relational dynamics? → Bowen systems theory
27. When a recently immigrated Mexican client describes a condition called 'susto' (fright sickness), the counselor should: → Explore the client's explanatory model and integrate it into the treatment plan
28. Which statistical measure describes the most frequently occurring score in a distribution? → Mode
29. A Texas counselor uses 'systematic desensitization' with a client who has a phobia. Which theoretical orientation does this technique come from? → Behavioral
30. Which intervention is considered evidence-based for treating PTSD in trauma-focused counseling? → Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and EMDR