Exam 6: Complexities Within Client-Therapist Relationships: Inevitable Interpersonal Events of Therapy

An interpersonal event may be what the therapist perceives as a benign and naturally occurring communication, but if perceived as important by the client, it is something that has the potential to disrupt or fortify the therapeutic relationship.

When a therapist fails to notice or understand a communication from a client or unintentionally initiates a communication or behavior that the client feels is hurtful or insensitive, he/she is engaging in which interpersonal event?

Review what the client asked the therapist in question number 5. According to the Intentional Relationship Model (IRM), it would be important to discuss with the client what prompted her to ask the therapist this question.

According to the Intentional Relationship Model (IRM), client interpersonal characteristics are important to attend to because they allow a therapist to anticipate interpersonal events that commonly occur in people who share certain characteristics and allow a therapist to plan how to respond to the client using modes.

Which of the following is at least one interpersonal event that characterizes the following situation? Mike, an intelligent and high-achieving 15-year-old client, has relocated to your area and you are now assigned as his new occupational therapist. His mother requests that you work with him on becoming more independent in his self-care and hygiene. When you meet Mike, it is very evident in his appearance and odor that he does not practice adequate hygiene. You are faced with a situation in which you must discuss these issues with Mike, who seems disinterested and angry about others' concerns about his hygiene.

When a client asks a therapist if she is married, which of the following possibilities should the therapist consider?

A 6-year-old client tells his occupational therapist that he is his only friend in the world. What kind of an interpersonal event would this be considered?

An interpersonal event has the potential to challenge the therapeutic relationship, but if handled appropriately it can result in a positive therapeutic outcome.

When a client and therapist realize they need more sessions to accomplish a therapy goal but the facility and insurance will not pay for the additional sessions, it is defined as:

When a client has something unexpected happen in his/her life that interrupts the normal process and flow of therapy, how would you categorize this in terms of an interpersonal event?

Relationships that involve one or more interpersonal event cascades, particularly if they occur across multiple therapy sessions, are considered complicated therapeutic relationships.

Which of the following statements is not correct?

A client asks an occupational therapist if she ever cleans the toilet at home and a therapist chooses to respond by disclosing that she does indeed do all of her own housecleaning. The therapist is choosing to relax the boundaries of therapy.

Which of the following does not represent an interpersonal event in therapy?

Depending upon how they are handled, interpersonal events can either weaken or strengthen the therapeutic relationship.

Ms. Fallible is a client who has just injured her wrist while competing in a sport that means the world to her, judo. As the clinician is in the process of making a splint for her, Ms. Fallible laughs nervously and confides that she feels as if she has really failed because she not only lost the match but she also injured herself. According to the Intentional Relationship Model (IRM), what, if any, of the following are true?

Intimate self-disclosure has the potential to have positive and/or negative outcomes in the therapeutic relationship.