Question 1

List some common behaviors clients exhibit during resistance. ​

Accepted Answer

Resistance is a natural part of the change process, and clients may exhibit various behaviors that indicate they are resisting the process in a therapeutic, coaching, or consultative setting. Here are some common behaviors that clients might exhibit during resistance:

1. **Denial**: Clients may refuse to acknowledge the problem or the need for change. They might insist that everything is fine, even when there is clear evidence to the contrary.

2. **Rationalization**: Clients might make excuses or provide logical reasons to justify their behavior or situation. They may minimize the consequences or deny the severity of the issue.

3. **Intellectualization**: Some clients might focus on the intellectual components of an issue without connecting to the emotional aspects. They may talk about their problems in an abstract way without showing any intention to act.

4. **Avoidance**: Clients may miss appointments, arrive late, or change the subject to avoid discussing uncomfortable topics. They might also engage in behaviors that distract from the issue at hand.

5. **Projection**: Resistance can manifest as projecting one's own feelings or shortcomings onto others. Clients might blame external circumstances or other people for their problems.

6. **Aggression**: Some clients may become confrontational or hostile when faced with challenges to their beliefs or behaviors. This can be a defense mechanism to protect themselves from perceived threats.

7. **Passive-aggressive behavior**: Clients might agree to take certain actions but then fail to follow through, or they might express their resistance through indirect resistance or subtle opposition.

8. **Regression**: In the face of stress or challenge, clients may revert to earlier stages of development or older, less adaptive behaviors.

9. **Testing limits**: Clients may test the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship or the rules of a program to see how much they can get away with before facing consequences.

10. **Silence**: Some clients may become silent or non-communicative as a way to resist engaging with the process or with challenging topics.

11. **Over-compliance**: Paradoxically, some clients may exhibit over-compliance, agreeing with everything the therapist or coach says without genuine commitment, as a way to avoid real engagement or change.

12. **Sarcasm and humor**: Using sarcasm or humor can be a way for clients to deflect serious discussion and maintain distance from their issues.

Understanding these behaviors can help therapists, coaches, and consultants to recognize resistance and develop strategies to work through it constructively with their clients. It's important to approach resistance with empathy and to view it as a normal part of the change process rather than a personal affront or failure.

Question 2

Entering therapy for clients involves both______and______. ​

Accepted Answer

A) need for relief; benevolent direction 
B) desire for help; fear and shame 
C) pain; sorrow 
D) depression; help-seeking 
A) need for relief; benevolent direction 
B) desire for help; fear and shame 
C) pain; sorrow 
D) depression; help-seeking B

Question 3

According to Prochaska et al. do not "own their problems, and usually enter treatment because of pressure from others. ​

Accepted Answer

A) malingerers 
B) resisters 
C) problem projectionists 
D) precontemplators 
A) malingerers 
B) resisters 
C) problem projectionists 
D) precontemplators D

Question 4

What is the four-step sequence outlined by the authors to address a client's resistance to change outdated or maladaptive coping strategies? ​

Accepted Answer

A) Label, validate, track, specify 
B) Identify, validate, track, generalize 
C) Identify, address, re-assess, specify 
D) Label, address, respond, generalize 
A) Label, validate, track, specify 
B) Identify, validate, track, generalize 
C) Identify, address, re-assess, specify 
D) Label, address, respond, generalize

Question 5

A therapist usually knows when a client is resisting treatment when the: ​

Accepted Answer

A) client has difficulty participating. 
B) client becomes confrontive with his/her family. 
C) client displays a "moving toward" attitude. 
D) client avoids eye-contact during the first session. 
A) client has difficulty participating. 
B) client becomes confrontive with his/her family. 
C) client displays a "moving toward" attitude. 
D) client avoids eye-contact during the first session.

Question 6

Define resistance and discuss the different forms it may take. ​

Accepted Answer

Resistance is the opposition to the flow

Question 7

When clients are threatened by conflicted feelings about continuing therapy, they: ​

Accepted Answer

A) feel blamed when the therapist inquires about resistance. 
B) may begin to come late, miss appointments and drop out. 
C) are concerned the therapist is angry or disappointed. 
D) All choices are correct. 
A) feel blamed when the therapist inquires about resistance. 
B) may begin to come late, miss appointments and drop out. 
C) are concerned the therapist is angry or disappointed. 
D) All choices are correct.

Question 8

The most common reason clients prematurely terminate therapy is: ​

Accepted Answer

A) the therapist reminds the client of a parental figure. 
B) clients are acting on rather than talking about their conflicted feelings about entering therapy. 
C) client's lives are too busy. 
D) the client is unable to bond with the therapist. 
A) the therapist reminds the client of a parental figure. 
B) clients are acting on rather than talking about their conflicted feelings about entering therapy. 
C) client's lives are too busy. 
D) the client is unable to bond with the therapist.

Question 9

When clients have difficulty in entering or continuing treatment, what are some potentially effective or ineffective therapeutic responses? ​

Accepted Answer

When clients have difficulty in entering

Question 10

When ruptures or misunderstandings in the therapeutic alliance occur, how must the therapist view them, and subsequently address them? ​

Accepted Answer

When ruptures or misunderstandings occur

Question 11

Explain the four-step sequence therapists should follow in approaching resistance. ​

Accepted Answer

The four-step sequence therapists should

Question 12

Following an initial phone contact, the chances that a client will not show up for the first appointment are far greater if the therapist: ​

Accepted Answer

A) does not solicit a concrete promise from the client to show up. 
B) does not specifically address the client's serious commitment to beginning therapy. 
C) does not convey their suspicion that the client really isn't genuinely committed to starting treatment. 
D) does not acknowledge potential indecision and uncertain commitment through non-defensive dialogue. 
A) does not solicit a concrete promise from the client to show up. 
B) does not specifically address the client's serious commitment to beginning therapy. 
C) does not convey their suspicion that the client really isn't genuinely committed to starting treatment. 
D) does not acknowledge potential indecision and uncertain commitment through non-defensive dialogue.

Question 13

​ An effective response to a client's ambiguity in attending a first session is:

Accepted Answer

A) for the therapist to ignore the client's indecision and schedule the appointment anyway. 
B) for the therapist to call the client the day before the schedule appointment and remind him/her to attend. 
C) for the therapist to acknowledge the client's ambiguity and address it directly. 
D) the therapist should not schedule an appointment with this client; he/she will not show up. 
A) for the therapist to ignore the client's indecision and schedule the appointment anyway. 
B) for the therapist to call the client the day before the schedule appointment and remind him/her to attend. 
C) for the therapist to acknowledge the client's ambiguity and address it directly. 
D) the therapist should not schedule an appointment with this client; he/she will not show up.

Question 14

Therapists want to respond to ambivalence about making first appointments by: ​

Accepted Answer

A) addressing it directly. 
B) discouraging the client from acting on the ambivalence. 
C) ensuring clients take responsibility for their decisions to enter treatment. 
D) all choices are correct. 
A) addressing it directly. 
B) discouraging the client from acting on the ambivalence. 
C) ensuring clients take responsibility for their decisions to enter treatment. 
D) all choices are correct.

Question 15

In order to address interpersonal conflict between therapist and client, the therapist should: ​

Accepted Answer

A) educate the client about the treatment process. 
B) try to establish an important set of expectations. 
C) lay the groundwork for a direct and authentic relationship. 
D) All choices are correct. 
A) educate the client about the treatment process. 
B) try to establish an important set of expectations. 
C) lay the groundwork for a direct and authentic relationship. 
D) All choices are correct.

Question 16

Clients are often unaware of their own resistance, and may: ​

Accepted Answer

A) externalize it to others or outside events 
B) terminate treatment if confronted 
C) not be willing to negotiate a change in their behavior early on 
D) expect the therapist to solve them as a part of their treatment 
A) externalize it to others or outside events 
B) terminate treatment if confronted 
C) not be willing to negotiate a change in their behavior early on 
D) expect the therapist to solve them as a part of their treatment

Question 17

​ One reason why beginning therapists are reluctant to approach their client's resistance is because of the therapist's strong need:

Accepted Answer

A) for their clients to like them. 
B) to avoid difficult feelings. 
C) to avoid inferring that the client's motivations are questionable. 
D) all of these choices are correct. 
A) for their clients to like them. 
B) to avoid difficult feelings. 
C) to avoid inferring that the client's motivations are questionable. 
D) all of these choices are correct.

Question 18

Explain three reasons why therapists find it difficult to approach their client's resistance. ​

Accepted Answer

Therapists may find it difficult to appr

Question 19

One of the most common themes that makes therapy threatening for clients is: ​

Accepted Answer

A) "If I let myself depend on the therapist he/she might leave me, or take advantage of me, or try to control me as others have done when I needed them." 
B) "I cannot ask for help or need anything from others because I must be perfect and in control all of the time." 
C) "Asking for help is admitting that there really is a problem, and if therapy does not help then I surely will be hopeless." 
D) All choices are common themes for clients. 
A) "If I let myself depend on the therapist he/she might leave me, or take advantage of me, or try to control me as others have done when I needed them." 
B) "I cannot ask for help or need anything from others because I must be perfect and in control all of the time." 
C) "Asking for help is admitting that there really is a problem, and if therapy does not help then I surely will be hopeless." 
D) All choices are common themes for clients.

Question 20

Discuss how honoring the client's resistance will facilitate the therapeutic process. ​

Accepted Answer

Honoring the client's resistance is an i

List some common behaviors clients exhibit during resistance.

Entering therapy for clients involves bothand.

According to Prochaska et al. do not "own their problems, and usually enter treatment because of pressure from others.

What is the four-step sequence outlined by the authors to address a client's resistance to change outdated or maladaptive coping strategies?

A therapist usually knows when a client is resisting treatment when the:

Define resistance and discuss the different forms it may take.

When clients are threatened by conflicted feelings about continuing therapy, they:

The most common reason clients prematurely terminate therapy is:

When clients have difficulty in entering or continuing treatment, what are some potentially effective or ineffective therapeutic responses?

When ruptures or misunderstandings in the therapeutic alliance occur, how must the therapist view them, and subsequently address them?

Explain the four-step sequence therapists should follow in approaching resistance.

Following an initial phone contact, the chances that a client will not show up for the first appointment are far greater if the therapist:

An effective response to a client's ambiguity in attending a first session is:

Therapists want to respond to ambivalence about making first appointments by:

In order to address interpersonal conflict between therapist and client, the therapist should:

Clients are often unaware of their own resistance, and may:

One reason why beginning therapists are reluctant to approach their client's resistance is because of the therapist's strong need:

Explain three reasons why therapists find it difficult to approach their client's resistance.

One of the most common themes that makes therapy threatening for clients is:

Discuss how honoring the client's resistance will facilitate the therapeutic process.

The Interpersonal Process Approach

Establishing a Working Alliance

An Internal Focus for Change

Helping Clients With Their Feelings

Familial and Developmental Factors

Inflexible Interpersonal Coping Strategies

Relational Themes and Reparative Experiences

An Interpersonal Solution

Working-Through and Termination

Filters

Exam 3: Honoring the Clients Resistance