Think Like the Test

Think Like the Test 3 - Stop Should-ing Yourself

Key words in a question can often help lead you to the correct answer. In this episode, we discuss some to attend to -- and some that you shouldn't give much weight to.
This question comes from the current California Board of Behavioral Sciences handbook for the LCSW Law & Ethics Exam.
A client discloses that he had a sexual relationship with a previous therapist. The client does not disclose the identity of the former therapist. Which of the following actions should the therapist take to address the legal obligation in this case?
Report the incident to the licensing board
Encourage the client to report the incident to authorities
Assist the client to confront the former therapist about the violation
Provide the client with the brochure Therapy Never Includes Sexual Behavior
Intro/outro music: "Swampy Lands" by Adam Saban, licensed via Soundstripe.

Think Like the Test 2 - Simon Says

Remember the key lesson from childhood games like Simon Says and Mother May I -- always listen carefully to the instructions.
This question comes from Ben Caldwell Labs' program for the California LMFT Clinical Exam. (It's not from one of the full-length mocks, we wouldn't want to give the answer to one of those away.)
An MFT in a community mental health center receives a new client. The client reports that her family is having financial troubles because her husband recently was laid off, and they have been relying on her income from cleaning houses. Since the layoff, she has taken on five additional houses a week. She reports that her children have told her that she has become angry and mean, and she does not like the person she has become. She says that when she comes home from work, she is so irritable that she throws things. She also reports that she has been drinking more than usual. How should the MFT conceptualize her symptoms:
The client has repressed anger about her husband’s layoff
The client may have a problem with alcohol and needs to be assessed for substance abuse
The client’s symptoms are largely due to her family’s current economic stress
The client needs to be assessed for anger management
Intro/outro music: "Swampy Lands" by Adam Saban, licensed via Soundstripe.

Think Like the Test 1 - To Start, an Easy One

Carrie Wiita and Ben Caldwell talk through a sample question to start our discussion of test-taking skills, and Carrie comes one step closer to an important life goal.
This question comes from an older version of the BBS California LMFT Law & Ethics Exam handbook. It would equally apply to the LPCC and LCSW Law & Ethics exams.
A client initiates therapy for depression following a failed marriage. The therapist finds the client very attractive. Which of the following actions should the therapist take to manage the ethical obligation in this case?
Suppress personal feelings of attraction and continue providing therapy
Inform the client of the therapist’s feelings and discuss therapeutic boundaries
Explain the ethical issue to the client and provide a referral to an alternate therapist
Seek consultation to manage the attraction and monitor therapeutic boundaries
Intro/outro music: "Swampy Lands" by Adam Saban, licensed via Soundstripe.