Deck 2: Consultation

Question 1

Which of the following beliefs or practices are common to both cognitive therapy and psychoanalysis?

A)They focus on links between repressed emotions and current behavior
B)They are structured and long term
C)The psychologist will often take notes during sessions
D)They assume that behavior may be influenced by subconscious beliefs

Answer 1

They assume that behavior may be influenced by subconscious beliefs

Question 2

Transactional analysis (TA) integrates theories of psychoanalysis, cognitive, and humanist approaches to therapy, and is meant to simplify a patient's understanding of maladaptive behavior. Which of the following is not a philosophy or specific concept of TA?

A)There are three main ego states: Adult, Child, and Parent.
B)A person's life position-their unconscious feeling about life-influences daily interactions.
C)The goal of TA therapy is to affect permanent change in the way the patient makes decisions and create freedom from childhood patterns, rather than to simply understand these issues better and progress towards changing them.
D)Transactions refer to the interplay of different ego states within a patient.

Answer 2

Transactions refer to the interplay of different ego states within a patient.

Question 3

In the case of conducting evaluation in child custody disagreements, which of the following is the most desirable relationship between the psychologist who will conduct the evaluation and all others involved in the process (child and parents)?

A)If the family has been in therapy together, their current psychologist should conduct an evaluation.
B)If the child has been in therapy, his psychologist should conduct the evaluation.
C)A psychologist who does not know any of the family members should conduct the evaluation.
D)A psychologist who does not have a current therapeutic relationship with any of the family members, but who will begin one after the case is resolved, should conduct the evaluation.

Answer 3

A psychologist who does not know any of the family members should conduct the evaluation.

Question 4

Community psychology was partially established by the 1963 Community Mental Health Centers Act, which established mental health centers to provide five services. Which of the following services is NOT included in that list?

A)Inpatient care
B)Consultation
C)Day care
D)Licensing

Question 5

Consultation, one facet of community psychology, was first established by Gerald Caplan. He outlined four categories of consultation. Which of the following is NOT one of those categories?

A)Client-centered case consultation
B)Client-centered administrative consultation
C)Consultee-centered case consultation
D)Program-centered administrative consultation

Question 6

Consultation, one facet of community psychology, was first established by Gerald Caplan. He outlined four categories of consultation. What is the difference between client-centered and consultee-centered case consultation?

A)Client-centered focuses on one client, while consultee-centered focuses on one therapist.
B)Client-centered focuses on one client, while consultee-centered focuses on helping with a group of clients.
C)Client-centered focuses on a helping group of clients, while consultee-centered focuses on helping with the consultee's own problems.
D)Client-centered focuses on one or more clients, while consultee-centered focuses on program/structural changes.

Question 7

You are a clinical psychologist in private practice and Mrs. Henderson has been bringing her 7-year-old son Mark to see you for weekly play therapy. Today she informs you that she is no longer able to afford your fee because her husband just got laid off from work. You do not accept sliding scale payments. What do you do?

A)Reduce the frequency of Mark's therapy from weekly to biweekly or monthly to cut the cost and make it more affordable.
B)Select a termination date a few weeks away and in the interim agree that you will make an exception and see Mark two more times, for either a reduced fee or no fee.
C)Terminate Mark's therapy but refer the family elsewhere.
D)Terminate Mark's therapy, inviting the mother to bring him back when the family's finances are better.

Question 8

6-year-old Carlos Diaz is a first grader at an inner city public school. The psychologist at the school knows that the parents of these young children might need help in dealing with their children's sometimes less than exemplary behavior. So she has set up a monthly parents' group where, under her supervision, they can talk about those problems and receive advice. At one of those sessions Carlos' mother shares with the group that Carlos has been telling his dad repeatedly for weeks that he wants Santa Claus to give him an iPad for Christmas. However, an iPad is way beyond the parents' budget. If you were Mr. Diaz, what would be your response to Carlos the next time he asks for an iPad, since both parents are clueless?

A)Santa Claus prefers to reward children who have good behavior and good school work. So work harder and do better in school.
B)Santa Claus might not be able to afford an iPad, but if you are very, very good, he'll see what he can do.
C)Do you have a second choice that isn't so expensive? If Santa Claus spends all that money on just one present, there wouldn't be enough to around for many other kids who have very little.
D)Who do you think I am, Donald Trump? If I hear that silly idea from you one more time, Santa Claus won't get you anything!

Question 9

When parents accompany a very young child for a psychological consultation to see if the child can benefit from therapy, it is not uncommon for the child to act out. But sometimes it is the parent whose behavior is more of a challenge for the therapist. Which of the following strategies should the therapist use to handle a parent who is not only overly talkative and long-winded, especially on matters irrelevant to the child's behavior, but seems deaf to the message "Our time is up"?

A)Begin the session by stating that we only have a limited amount of time, so let's use it wisely and focus on the real reason we are here.
B)In addition to suggesting shifting gears when the parent goes off on too much of a tangent, five minutes before the end of the session, announce that we're almost out of time, so let's use the few minutes remaining to recap where we go from here.
C)Set five minutes overtime as the session limit, then get the client's coat and open the door.
D)All of the above
E)None of the above

Question 10

How would you handle a client who comes to your office for advice concerning her child's behavior but then refuses to take it?

A)Ask the client why she came to you for a consultation if she doesn't want to take your advice.
B)Say "The final decision is up to you. However, you came here for my professional opinion, and I am now offering it."
C)Tell the client that what she wants to do is not in the child's best interest.
D)Tell the client to give the matter some more thought, and to come back when she starts feeling differently.
E)Modify your position. Admit that maybe your earlier recommendation was premature and she may be right after all.

Question 11

8-year-old Lindsay receives weekly psychotherapy at the office of a private psychologist. She was referred by her school because she is very quiet in class and has difficulty making friends. Her mother wants to send her to summer camp, but Lindsay doesn't want to go. The subject comes up in her therapy session. What should be the psychologist's initial primary focus?

A)Exploring the reasons why Lindsay has so much anxiety about going to camp.
B)Reassuring Lindsay that no one can make her go to camp if she doesn't want to go.
C)Supporting the mother's opinion that the camp experience would help Lindsay overcome her shyness and make more friends.
D)Helping Lindsay and her mother work out a suitable compromise-like attending camp for just two weeks to see how it goes.

Question 12

If the psychologist has to cancel a consultation appointment with a newly-referred client and reschedule it for the following week, how should he or she start the session?

A)Apologize for the cancelled appointment and assure the client it wasn't personal.
B)Offer the client an extra 15 minutes at no charge to make up for the inconvenience and delay in treatment.
C)Ask the client how he or she feels that appointment was rescheduled.
D)Don't refer to the cancellation and rescheduling of the appointment at all unless the client brings it up.

Question 13

A mother and daughter were referred to your clinic for a psychological consultation and this was to be your first meeting with the two of them. They show up for their 45-minute appointment 30 minutes late. What do you do about it?

A)Explain that 15 minutes is nowhere near enough time to cover everything you need to and therefore the appointment will have to be rescheduled.
B)Don't give them a full session, but, assuming they have a legitimate reason for their lateness, let the session run 15 minutes past the regular ending time. That way, if the next client has to wait, it will only be a short wait.
C)Tell them that you have another client coming immediately after them. But if they want to wait around they can have the session afterwards and be your last appointment of the day.
D)Since they were late, meet with them for an abbreviated appointment of 15 minutes and make it clear that for their next appointment, they need to be on time.

Question 14

Regina Thomas is in the psychologist's office for a consultation with her 9-year-old daughter Keisha. During the session the mother and daughter argue and Mrs. Thomas resorts to foul language. What should the psychologist do?

A)Tell Mrs. Thomas that the use of curse words in her office is not permissible and, if it continues, will be grounds for termination of therapy.
B)End the session early and tell Mrs. Thomas, "We'll talk again next week after you have had a chance to cool off."
C)Pull Mrs. Thomas aside and tell her that she needs to refrain from cursing because, besides being inappropriate in the office, it is setting a poor example for her daughter.
D)Continue the session, allowing Mrs. Thomas the opportunity to vent as long as Keisha doesn't seem bothered by it and it doesn't get out of hand.

Question 15

16-year-old Carmen, who is a high school junior, tells her mother she is two months pregnant. Since the father, a boy in her class, refuses to take responsibility, Carmen's mother wants her to have an abortion, remain in school, and graduate on schedule. However, Carmen wants to raise the baby on her own. The school psychologist has her first consultation with both of them. What kind of guidance should she be giving them?

A)Tell the mother that the decision is her daughter's to make and she is already under a lot of emotional stress, so she shouldn't pressure Carmen further.
B)Tell the daughter that her mother is only looking out for her welfare and she is too young to even think about raising a child herself.
C)Start the process for transferring Carmen to a special residential program for pregnant teenagers so her education can continue uninterruptedly. Tell Carmen and her mother that the residential program will address any pregnancy concerns.
D)Inform Carmen and her mother about the various ways she can continue her education. Also encourage them to take more time to further consider all of the options regarding her pregnancy, including putting up the baby for adoption.

Question 16

DeCesare knew her 16-year-old daughter Angela was seeing a lot of a particular boy. But she had no idea that Angela was sexually active until she accidentally came across a pamphlet in Angela's room, "Safe Sex Practices for Teenagers." Now she has scheduled consultation appointments for her daughter with both a gynecologist and a psychologist. Which of the following would not be a valid reason for wanting Angela to start seeing a psychologist?

A)To talk to a knowledgeable listener who will not judge her. Angela has not been open with her mother, but she might be more open with a psychologist.
B)To assess what effects being sexually active might have had on her self-image.
C)To explore her goals and plans for the future.
D)To help her realize that her boyfriend is just using her and she needs to terminate the relationship.

Question 17

14-year-old Beth's mother failed to show up today for her appointment with the school psychologist to discuss her daughter's excessive absenteeism from school. How should the psychologist handle the situation?

A)Call the mother and ask her what happened.
B)Have the school secretary call to reschedule the appointment.
C)Wait a couple of days to see if the mother contacts the school on her own to reschedule the appointment.
D)Send the mother a computer-generated "failed appointment" letter asking her to reschedule her appointment as soon as possible.

Question 18

Mary's parents are giving her a party to celebrate her 5th birthday. Mary's brother Mike, who will be at the party along with Mary's friends, turned 3 two months ago. Aunt Marion, a therapy patient of yours, was invited to the party and is in a quandary about whether or not she should bring any gifts and, if so, just for Mary, or for Mike, too. With the party just a week away, she brings up the matter during her therapy session. What would you do if you were her and why?

A)Not feel obligated to bring anything. Just seeing their aunt will be present enough for both kids.
B)Bring a gift for Mary only since the party is for her. Besides, it is not a good idea to spoil a 3-year-old with too many gifts, especially since it is not even his birthday.
C)Bring a birthday gift for Mary and a small token gift for Mike.
D)Bring gifts of equal cost for both kids since Aunt Marion loves them both equally.

Question 19

Harry is a high school senior with so-so grades and a strong interest in tinkering with electronic gadgets. Both of his parents are teachers and expect him to attend college, but Harry would rather go to a technical school. Based on a consultation with the school psychologist, Harry has been referred for a full psychological evaluation. During the consultation, the parents say what kinds of information they would they would like to find out from the evaluation. Which one of the following questions would the psychological evaluation probably not be much help in answering?

A)Whether or not Harry is sufficiently intelligent to attend college.
B)Whether or not Harry's interests and skills are compatible.
C)Whether there are any factors in Harry's personality that should be considered in his plans.
D)Whether he will be able to achieve financial success.

Question 20

How does a therapist respond to parents who refuse to entertain the possibility that their child has any sort of behavior problem?

A)Tell them they are mistaken and cite specific examples to prove your point.
B)Tell them that it is clear from talking to them that they have played a significant role in contributing to their child's behavior problem.
C)Suggest that they talk to someone else who is an expert on the child's problem and can explain their child's behavior problem to them better.
D)Assure them that their child's problem is not uncommon and that many other children with similar problems have been greatly helped by therapy.

Question 21

Many parents of gifted children make an appointment to consult with a private psychologist about having their child professionally evaluated, only to call the office back to cancel. Which of the following would you consider the most probable legitimate reason for such a high incidence of cancelled consultations?

A)Giftedness is not an illness or disorder that is covered by the parents' health insurance.
B)The parent is worried about the stigma associated with seeing a psychologist.
C)There is plenty of information on gifted children online, so there is no need to consult a psychologist.
D)The parent is afraid that the therapist will find fault with his or her parenting techniques.

Question 22

Which of the following would be the least trustworthy referral source for parents to use to arrange a psychological consultation for their child?

A)Referral by the child's teacher.
B)Referral by the child's physician.
C)Online referral.
D)A newspaper or television ad.

Question 23

How can the use of a computer assist parents in the selection of a child psychologist for a consultation?

A)The parent can verify the psychologist's credentials and ratings by others.
B)The parent can e-mail the psychologist with questions pertaining to the child.
C)The parent can e-mail the psychologist about the reason for requesting a consultation.
D)The parent can negotiate a lower fee for the consultation.
E)All of the above.

Question 24

When a psychological consultation-at a clinic-requires two appointments to complete, would it be a good idea or a bad idea, and why, for the parents to see a different child psychologist on each visit?

A)A good idea. Getting two different clinicians' input will ensure a more thorough assessment.
B)A good idea. Some staff members may have extra time in their schedule while others are overworked, so using more than one therapist to evaluate a child is an expedient use of time.
C)A bad idea. Having parents repeat themselves to different psychologists disrupts continuity, may confuse the child, and also raises confidentiality issues.
D)A bad idea. Medical insurance won't reimburse evaluations of the same child by two different psychologists.

Question 25

Sabrina Jones takes her 7-year-old daughter Tina to a psychologist for a consultation upon the dual recommendation of Tina's teacher and the school guidance counselor. Tina was referred because she is inattentive in class and, in addition, one day yelled at her teacher, "I hate you!" Midway through the psychological consultation, Mrs. Jones abruptly declares "I can't take any more of your stupid questions. Tina, let's go," at which point they leave the psychologist's office together. What should the psychologist do next?

A)File a report with Child Protective Services because the parent is refusing help for her child and thereby putting the child at risk.
B)Prepare a report to the person or organization making the consultation referral, indicating what happened.
C)Write a follow-up letter to Mrs. Jones advising her to reconsider the decision not to explore therapy and urging her to call her office to schedule another appointment.
D)Not do anything unless contacted by the referring source, asking for the psychologist's findings.

Question 26

Four parents of pupils enrolled at the Progressive Primary and Preparatory School have filed requests to have their son or daughter evaluated by the school psychologist. The type of behavior that has each parent concerned is very different. Which parent's concern is likely to be given the lowest priority for a consultation about possible therapy?

A)The mother whose school-age daughter started wetting her bed again shortly after her parents got divorced.
B)The mother who claims her 6-year-old son is making it impossible for her to get to work on time. Every day when the bus comes to pick him up for school, he throw a tantrum, so the mother has to drive her child to school herself.
C)The father who has temporary custody of all three of his children, a boy attending that school, and two little girls in day care. The mother is in rehab and unable to take care of the children at all, and the father feels overwhelmed.
D)The father who is extremely distraught over the recent discovery that his honor student son is gay.

Question 27

Which of the following behaviors should alert the parent of a 5-year-old to the probable need to consult a psychologist?

A)Getting angry with one's brother or sister while playing a game and throwing the game pieces all over the floor.
B)Wanting to keep watching TV way past his bedtime for two nights in a row.
C)Insisting on sleeping in the same room as the parents every night.
D)Crying loudly in public because Mommy is getting Chinese takeout for dinner instead of taking the family to McDonald's.

Question 28

What should a parent do who thinks his or her child might benefit from seeing a child psychologist but can't pinpoint what precisely is the problem?

A)Trust one's instincts and go ahead and request a consultation.
B)Confide in a trusted friend and ask the friend for advice.
C)Wait and see whether the child's behavior improves on its own or gets worse.
D)Ask the child what is the matter and ask again until satisfied with the answer.

Question 29

When the problem behavior is clearly on the child's part, without any evidence that the parents in any way contributed to it, why would the parents still be given an appointment for a consultation with the psychologist?

A)To be better informed about what the psychologist can do to help their child and what the parents can do to facilitate and maintain their child's progress.
B)To have a definite diagnosis so they will stop blaming themselves for their child's problem.
C)To authorize the psychologist to expedite getting their child's class or school changed.
D)To make sure the psychologist is doing his or her job properly and not wasting funds on unnecessary tests.

Question 30

Studies have shown that parents are most likely to seek consultation with a psychologist for which category of children?

A)Girls
B)Boys
C)Gifted children
D)Anxious children

Question 31

Adolescence can be a difficult developmental stage for children and parents alike in any family. Unsettling behavior is not necessarily an indication that a consultation with a psychologist is necessary. Which of the following behaviors would warrant consulting a psychologist?

A)Frequent increased moodiness and emotional distance from one's parents.
B)Sudden increased awareness and interest in the changes in one's body.
C)Insisting on copying classmates' choice of clothing which the parents don't like.
D)Noticeable drop in the quality of schoolwork.