MFT National Exam Study Guide – Qs And As
Who is the founder of Bowenian therapy? ✔️Ans - Murray Bowen &
James Framo (follower, although some argue he is more object-relations, he
feels he is transgenerational)
Which theory focuses on ledgers and balances? ✔️Ans - Contextual
therapy
Who created the rubber fence theory? ✔️Ans - Wynn
Who created the term garage mechanic? ✔️Ans - Carl Whitaker
What is the emphasis in Bowenian therapy? ✔️Ans - Differentiation of
self
What is Bowen's differentiation of self defined? ✔️Ans - refers to the
autonomy of function which results in being less reactive to family systems
dynamics and other members emotional states; the extent to which they
have learned to manage emotionality.
what is the core problem in Bowenian theory? ✔️Ans - triangles and
emotional reactivity
what are Bowenian's key techniques? ✔️Ans - genogram and process
questions
who are the founders of experiential therapy? ✔️Ans - Virginia Satir &
Carl Whitaker
What is the emphasis in experiential therapy? ✔️Ans - authenticity and
self-actualization
what is the core problem in experiential therapy? ✔️Ans - emotional
suppression and mystification
what are key techniques used in experiential therapy? ✔️Ans -
confrontation and structured exercises
,who are the founders of solution-focused therapy? ✔️Ans - Steve de
Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg
What is the emphasis in solution-focused therapy? ✔️Ans - language
creates reality
What is the core problem in solution-focused therapy? ✔️Ans - problem
talk
what are key techniques used in solution-focused therapy? ✔️Ans -
focusing on solutions and identifying exceptions
who are the founders of strategic therapy? ✔️Ans - Don Jackson and Jay
Haley
What is the emphasis in strategic therapy? ✔️Ans - homeostasis and
feedback loops
what is the core problem in strategic therapy? ✔️Ans - more-of-the-same
solutions
what are key techniques used in strategic therapy? ✔️Ans - reframing
directives
who are the founders of psychodynamic therapy? ✔️Ans - Nathan
Ackerman, Henry Dicks, and Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy
What is the emphasis in psychodynamic therapy? ✔️Ans - drives
self objects
internal objects
what are the core problems in psychodynamic therapy? ✔️Ans - conflict
projective identification
fixation and regression
what are the key techniques used in psychodynamic therapy? ✔️Ans -
silence and interpretation
,who are the founders of narrative therapy? ✔️Ans - Michael White &
David Epston
what is the emphasis in narrative therapy? ✔️Ans - Narrative theory &
social constructionism
what is the core problem in narrative therapy? ✔️Ans - problem-
saturated stories
What are key techniques used in narrative therapy? ✔️Ans -
externalization, identifying unique outcomes, & creating audiences of
support
who are the founders of structural therapy? ✔️Ans - Salvador Minuchin
what is the emphasis in structural therapy? ✔️Ans - subsystems and
boundaries
what is the core problem in structural therapy? ✔️Ans - enmeshment and
disengagement
what are key techniques used in structural therapy? ✔️Ans - enactments
and boundary making
who are the founders of cognitive behavioral therapy? ✔️Ans - Gerald
Patterson, Robert Liberman, and Richard Stuart
what is the emphasis in cognitive behavioral therapy? ✔️Ans -
reinforcement, extinction, and schemas
what is the core problem in cognitive behavioral therapy? ✔️Ans -
inadvertent reinforcement and aversive control
what are key techniques used in cognitive behavioral therapy? ✔️Ans -
functional analysis and teaching positive control
what theory emphasizes negative-feedback loops or cycles? ✔️Ans -
Structural
, what theory emphasizes positive-feedback cycles? ✔️Ans - strategic
what theory emphasizes the importance of structure in dysfunction?
✔️Ans - structural
what theory emphasizes the importance of maladaptive behavioral
sequences in dysfunction? ✔️Ans - strategic
what theory is straight-forward and confrontive? ✔️Ans - structural
what theory is indirect and nonconfrontive? ✔️Ans - strategic
in what theory does the therapist generally work with the whole family?
✔️Ans - structural
in what theory does the therapist often work with only 1 or 2 members of a
family system? ✔️Ans - strategic
what theory focuses on immediate in-session behaviors? ✔️Ans -
structural
what theory retrospectively focuses on out-of-session behavioral
sequences? ✔️Ans - strategic
what theory focuses on behavioral sequences? ✔️Ans - strategic
what theory focuses on in-session enactment? ✔️Ans - structural
what theory emphasizes out-of-session directives? ✔️Ans - strategic
what is ambivalence in couples therapy? ✔️Ans - one or both partners
may be unwilling to forgive past behaviors
how would assessment and therapy initiation be conducted in a structural
approach? ✔️Ans - the therapist would work with the family to help them
realize how their actions or behaviors might be contributing to the
problem
who is the founder of MRI Brief Therapy? ✔️Ans - Paul Watzlawick
Who is the founder of Bowenian therapy? ✔️Ans - Murray Bowen &
James Framo (follower, although some argue he is more object-relations, he
feels he is transgenerational)
Which theory focuses on ledgers and balances? ✔️Ans - Contextual
therapy
Who created the rubber fence theory? ✔️Ans - Wynn
Who created the term garage mechanic? ✔️Ans - Carl Whitaker
What is the emphasis in Bowenian therapy? ✔️Ans - Differentiation of
self
What is Bowen's differentiation of self defined? ✔️Ans - refers to the
autonomy of function which results in being less reactive to family systems
dynamics and other members emotional states; the extent to which they
have learned to manage emotionality.
what is the core problem in Bowenian theory? ✔️Ans - triangles and
emotional reactivity
what are Bowenian's key techniques? ✔️Ans - genogram and process
questions
who are the founders of experiential therapy? ✔️Ans - Virginia Satir &
Carl Whitaker
What is the emphasis in experiential therapy? ✔️Ans - authenticity and
self-actualization
what is the core problem in experiential therapy? ✔️Ans - emotional
suppression and mystification
what are key techniques used in experiential therapy? ✔️Ans -
confrontation and structured exercises
,who are the founders of solution-focused therapy? ✔️Ans - Steve de
Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg
What is the emphasis in solution-focused therapy? ✔️Ans - language
creates reality
What is the core problem in solution-focused therapy? ✔️Ans - problem
talk
what are key techniques used in solution-focused therapy? ✔️Ans -
focusing on solutions and identifying exceptions
who are the founders of strategic therapy? ✔️Ans - Don Jackson and Jay
Haley
What is the emphasis in strategic therapy? ✔️Ans - homeostasis and
feedback loops
what is the core problem in strategic therapy? ✔️Ans - more-of-the-same
solutions
what are key techniques used in strategic therapy? ✔️Ans - reframing
directives
who are the founders of psychodynamic therapy? ✔️Ans - Nathan
Ackerman, Henry Dicks, and Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy
What is the emphasis in psychodynamic therapy? ✔️Ans - drives
self objects
internal objects
what are the core problems in psychodynamic therapy? ✔️Ans - conflict
projective identification
fixation and regression
what are the key techniques used in psychodynamic therapy? ✔️Ans -
silence and interpretation
,who are the founders of narrative therapy? ✔️Ans - Michael White &
David Epston
what is the emphasis in narrative therapy? ✔️Ans - Narrative theory &
social constructionism
what is the core problem in narrative therapy? ✔️Ans - problem-
saturated stories
What are key techniques used in narrative therapy? ✔️Ans -
externalization, identifying unique outcomes, & creating audiences of
support
who are the founders of structural therapy? ✔️Ans - Salvador Minuchin
what is the emphasis in structural therapy? ✔️Ans - subsystems and
boundaries
what is the core problem in structural therapy? ✔️Ans - enmeshment and
disengagement
what are key techniques used in structural therapy? ✔️Ans - enactments
and boundary making
who are the founders of cognitive behavioral therapy? ✔️Ans - Gerald
Patterson, Robert Liberman, and Richard Stuart
what is the emphasis in cognitive behavioral therapy? ✔️Ans -
reinforcement, extinction, and schemas
what is the core problem in cognitive behavioral therapy? ✔️Ans -
inadvertent reinforcement and aversive control
what are key techniques used in cognitive behavioral therapy? ✔️Ans -
functional analysis and teaching positive control
what theory emphasizes negative-feedback loops or cycles? ✔️Ans -
Structural
, what theory emphasizes positive-feedback cycles? ✔️Ans - strategic
what theory emphasizes the importance of structure in dysfunction?
✔️Ans - structural
what theory emphasizes the importance of maladaptive behavioral
sequences in dysfunction? ✔️Ans - strategic
what theory is straight-forward and confrontive? ✔️Ans - structural
what theory is indirect and nonconfrontive? ✔️Ans - strategic
in what theory does the therapist generally work with the whole family?
✔️Ans - structural
in what theory does the therapist often work with only 1 or 2 members of a
family system? ✔️Ans - strategic
what theory focuses on immediate in-session behaviors? ✔️Ans -
structural
what theory retrospectively focuses on out-of-session behavioral
sequences? ✔️Ans - strategic
what theory focuses on behavioral sequences? ✔️Ans - strategic
what theory focuses on in-session enactment? ✔️Ans - structural
what theory emphasizes out-of-session directives? ✔️Ans - strategic
what is ambivalence in couples therapy? ✔️Ans - one or both partners
may be unwilling to forgive past behaviors
how would assessment and therapy initiation be conducted in a structural
approach? ✔️Ans - the therapist would work with the family to help them
realize how their actions or behaviors might be contributing to the
problem
who is the founder of MRI Brief Therapy? ✔️Ans - Paul Watzlawick
