MFT LICENSING EXAM/256 QUESTIONS
WITH SOLUTIONS
ABC-X Family Crisis Model - -Rueben Hill's model used to explain whether or
not a stressful event would result in crisis in some families but not in other's.
A=stressor
B=family's crisis- meeting resources
C=family's definition of the stressor
X=the crisis
- Accomodation - -Describes a variety of engagement techniques such as
joining, used principally by Structural Family Therapists in which the
therapist adapts themselves to the family's style of interacting.
- Acculturation - -The process by which immigrant group members adjust to
the culture of their new country.
- Adaptability - -Term from Olson's Circumflex Model, which is a measure of
the families ability to respond and adapt to changes in their lives. Also called
"flexibility"-families are rated at 4 levels:
1. Rigid
2. Structured
3. Flexible
4. Chaotic
- Alliance - -Structural and Strategic Model Definition: a bond or affiliation
between 2 or more family members. Alliances differ from coalitions in that
they are generally within the subsystems and not hidden.
Domestic Violence Model Definition: Refers to the redemptive phase of the
abuse cycle, in which the perpetrator promises to never act violently again
and the victim agrees to participate in that goal and believes them,
continuing the cycle of abuse.
- Antilibidinal Ego - -Objects-Relations Term defined as the part of the ego
that is formed from interactions with the rejecting object.
- Antilibidinal System - -Object-Relations Term define as a repressed system
within the ego characterized by aggression, rage, and contempt.
- "As If" Structure - -Symbolic-Experiential Term defined as family members
are encouraged to freely experiment "as if" they were in the role of the
other, so long as they understand that the role play is symbolic. The process
,allows family members to alternately experiment and then return to their
secure roles.
- Autopoetic (Autopoeisis) System - -Defined as a system that is self
organizing and self maintaining, such as biological and human systems. Can
be described by second order cybernetics. Term originated from Postmodern
Chilean Biologist, Maturana.
- Avoider - -SATIR EXPERIENTIAL MODEL: This is 1 of the 5 communication
styles developed by Satir (Experiential Therapy). The avoider tends to
distract others form potential conflict by acting helpless, weak, and lacking
an understanding.
- Battle for Initiative - -WHITAKER EXPERIENTIAL MODEL: The Battle for
Initiative follows the Battle for Structure. Defined as the family taking back
authority form the therapist to make choices about what is discussed and
about decisions that affect their life.
- Battle for Structure - -WHITAKER EXPERIENTIAL MODEL: The Battle for
Structure is when the therapist demands the family capitulate (give in to) to
their way of conducting the therapy, particularly during the initial stage of
therapy. It is followed by the next phase, Battle for Initiative.
- Beavers-Timberlawn Model - -An assessment tool used to rate the
dimensions of competence and style in a family.
Competence Dimensions are:
1. Adequate
2. Optimal
3. Midrange
4. Borderline
5. Severely Dysfunctional
Stylistic Dimensions are:
1. Centripetal
2. Centrifugal
3. Mixed
- Behavioral Exchange Theory - -From Behavior Family Therapy. Defined as
a way of describing relationships in terms of costs and benefits. Functional
relationships have plentiful access to rewards and relatively few costs, while
distressed relationships have few rewards relative to the costs.
- Behavioral Family Therapy (BFT) - -A theory and therapeutic model
developed by PATERSON, REID (and others). Based on principles of learning
and behavior change. All family members are seen as part of the problem,
,and symptoms are reformulated into concrete observable behaviors, each of
which will be rewarded, or extinguished.
- Behavioral Parent Training (Behavioral Family Therapy) - -A program for
training parents in the use of contingency management to modify, or
extinguish unwanted behaviors and reinforce desirable behaviors in children.
- Bicultural - -People who belong to more then one culture and are able to
alternate between the two, adjusting temporarily to each, depending on the
circumstance.
- Bilateral Pseudo Therapy - -SYMBOLIC-EXPERIENTIAL: Defined as the
tendency in some families for members to be therapists to one another. The
Therapist demands the therapy be turned over to them, asserting the family
has failed in it's efforts at self-therapy. (Goes along with Battle for Structure
and Battle for Initiative)
- Bilateral Transference - -SYMBOLIC-EXPERIENTIAL: A therapeutic stance
defined as the therapist adopting the language, accent, rhythm, pr posture
of the family.
- Biobehavioral - -Defined as biological factors that influence behavior
(example, depression that is caused, in part, by faulty neurochemistry.
- Bi-Modal Feedback Mechanism - -(Ashby) the rule-bound mechanism by
which a system remains unchanged so long as the internal or external
environment is stable, but when the fluctuation exceeds the range of
stability the system must respond in some new way. The system either
breaks down or it makes a leap into new levels of functioning. The change
results in a new set of patterns which, like the old pattern, is also bound by
rules, and it, too, remains unchanged, so long as the environment is stable.
- Binuclear Family - -Families in which the parents are divorced, have
remarried, and formed two intact nuclear families.
- Blamer - -SATIR EXPERIENTIAL MODEL: This is 1 of the 5 communication
styles developed by Satir (Experiential Therapy). The Blamer judges and
complains, often for the purpose of bullying others into accepting what their
preference is (get their own way).
- Boundary - -MINUCHIN-STRUCTURAL:Minuchin's structural family therapy,
boundaries are hypothetical dividers between or among subsystems within
the family or between systems. They are defined spatially by the ways family
members align with one another.They are set by the implicit or explicit rules
concerning who participates in which subsystem and in what manner.
, Boundaries and the subsystems they define may change over time. In the
structural model, boundaries are rigid, clear, or diffuse.
- Boundary Interface - -The regions between each subsystem of the family
and between the family and the suprasystem. In family systems therapy this
interface is referred to as the familial boundary.
- Boundary Making - -A structural therapy technique in which the therapist
establishes a functional semi-permeable (clear) boundary where either a
rigid or diffuse boundary had existed previously.
- Bowenian Family Therapy - -Bowen's theory and therapeutic model is
based on the family's emotional system, the differentiation of self within
one's family, and the multi-generational transmission of emotions and family
patterns.
- Brief Family Therapy - -DEVELOPED BY MRI (STRATEGIC): A model of
problem-focused and time-limited therapy developed by the Mental Research
Institute in Palo Alto, CA. Milton Erickson and others.
- Caring Days - -From behavioral marital therapy, each partner identifies
behaviors that his/her partner finds enjoyable and makes a commitment to
increasing those behaviors.
- Case-Specific Symptom Prescription - -STRATEGIC MODEL TECHNIQUE
defined as a therapeutic technique of the strategic model, in which
symptomatic or other undesirable behaviors are paradoxically encouraged in
order to lessen such behavior or bring it under conscious control.
- Central Ego - -OBJECT RELATIONS THEORY:1 of 3 parts of the ego. The
Central Ego is conscious, adaptable, & free to deal with future experiences
with attachment figures in reasonable ways. The central ego maintains its
own object, the ideal object
- Centrifugal - -Defined by Beavers as part of the Beavers-Timberlawn
Model, a family system dynamic in which members are expelled or
encouraged to operate at the outer periphery and seek gratification outside
the family.
- Centripetal - -Defined by Beavers as part of the Beavers-Timberlawn
Model, a family system dynamic in which members are tightly bound to one
another emotionally and encouraged to seek gratification from one another.
- Circular Causality (Circularity) - -MILAN GROUP-Originally developed by
Bateson in his book, Steps to an Ecology of Mind. This concept was of
particular interest to the Milan Systemic who posited that causality in