FAD4601 Exam 1 Questions with
Correct Answers
Ethics & the Law - Answer-ethics & law often overlap but THEY ARE NOT ONE IN THE
SAME; something can be legal but unethical or ethical but not legal
Ethics & competence - Answer-counselors will:
-practice only within the bounds of his/her competence
-seek supervision when necessary
-refer appropriately
-support the client with a solid relationship as much as he/she can
-continue to gain ethic knowledge & competence throughout his/her career
Ethics & confidentiality - Answer-the counselor must keep confidences so far as legally
possible in accordance with state law (trust is built on ability to keep confidences); each
state has varying laws regarding confidentiality
Limits to confidentiality - Answer--danger to self
-danger to others
-child & vulnerable adults (elderly) abuse
-appropriate subpoena
-duty to warn: ethical and/or legal obligation of the counselor to notify potential victim of
a client of possible danger (requires knowledge about state laws)
-duty to protect: ethical and/or legal obligation to implement a reasonable plan of
intervention to avert/de-escalate client behavior that may harm self or others
Confidentiality vs Privileged communication - Answer--confidentiality=ethical duty to
keep client's information/stories confidential
-privileged communication=legal exemption from forced disclosure of client statements
on the witness stand
Informed consent - Answer--counselors must obtain consent from role-playing & real
clients & inform them of the goals, procedures, benefits, & risks of the counseling
process; must overtly disclose the limits of their confidentiality (i.e. legal exceptions) &
have them sign an informed consent form prior to the start of the session
Ethics & power - Answer-the counselor must maintain awareness of power differentials
(in economic status, gender, &/or other multicultural variables) in the counselor-client
relationship & seek to avoid dual/multiple relationships; the counselor is generally in a
more powerful position than the client
,Dual relationships - Answer-having more than one relationship with a client which may
increase conflict of interest, risk of harm, & exploitation, i.e. sexual/romantic
relationships, nonprofessional relationships, & professional role change; ex. if client is a
classmate or friend, or even if the client is just an acquaintance but you have mutual
friends; tends to involve an imbalance of power
Ethics & social justice - Answer-counselors must maintain awareness that client
concerns & issues may be the result of oppressive environments &, where possible,
must actively seek to enhance & protect the rights of clients by pursuing social change
(esp. with issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, & other forms of social
injustice
Privilege - Answer-power given to people through cultural assumptions & stereotypes;
many people are not aware of their privileged state; privileged states include being
white, male, heterosexual, and middle or upper-class; counselors must be aware of their
privilege at all times & work to improve awareness, knowledge, & skills to work with
clients who are culturally different from themselves
HIPAA - Answer-the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996, which
requires the protection & confidential handling of protected health information; est. b/c
disclosure of private health info may have may consequences beyond physical health, &
may lead to clients losing their jobs, being rejected by friends/family, being denied
insurance coverage, or suffering public humiliation
What are the 3 main categories of punishment for violating federal health care laws
such as HIPAA? - Answer-1) criminal penalties
2) civil money penalties
3) sanctions
"Covered entities" of the privacy rule (HIPAA) incl. - Answer-health plans, health care
clearinghouses, & any healthcare provider who transmits health info in electronic form
What is "protected health information (PHI)" as defined by HIPAA? - Answer-all
individually identifiable health info (i.e. demographic data identifying the individual &
relating to the individual's past, present, or future physical/mental health/condition,
provision of health care to the individual, &/or the past, present, or future payment for
the provision of healthcare to the individual) held or transmitted by a covered entity or its
business associate, in any form or media, whether electronic, paper, or oral;
employment & education records are excluded from protected health info under the
privacy rule
Interviewing - Answer-the basic process used for: -gathering data
-providing info & advice to clients &
-suggesting workable alternatives for resolving concerns
**critical to obtain client info
, Settings in which interviewing may be used - Answer-employment offices, schools,
hospitals, etc; used by professionals in many areas i.e. medicine, business, law,
community development, library work, & gov't offices
Counseling - Answer-a more intensive & personal process than interviewing; more
about listening to & understanding a client's life challenges & along w/ the client,
developing strategies for change & growth
What professional fields are associated with counseling? - Answer-professional
counseling, human relations (HR), clinical & counseling psychology, pastoral
counseling, & social work; also part of the role of medical personnel/psychiatrists
Pyschotherapy - Answer-practice that focuses on more deep-seated difficulties than
interviewing/counseling typically does, which often require more time for resolution;
however psychotherapists still use interviewing & counseling to obtain info/understand
clients as they begin working with them
True/False: the skills & concepts of intentional interviewing & counseling are equally
effective for the successful conduct of longer-term psychotherapy - Answer-TRUE
What settings/professions are most often associated with psychotherapy? - Answer-
psychiatrists; however today they are limited in number therefore only offer short
sessions & treat with medications, therefore most talking therapy conducted by helping
professionals other than psychiatrists
What are the broad goals of counseling & psychotherapy? - Answer--Intentionality
-Resilience (longer-term goal)
-Self-actualization
What is the "correct response" to offer a client? - Answer-There is no correct
response!!!! Every client is unique & should be treated as a unique individual; intentional
counseling is not focused on which single response is correct, but with how many
potential responses may be helpful; if one helping lead/skill doesn't work, try another
approach
***the same comment may have diff. effects on individuals who have diff. personal life
experiences & multicultural backgrounds
What are the common pitfalls of counseling & psychotherapy? - Answer--premature
problem-solving
-fear of silence
-setting boundaries (counselor is uncomfortable with topics that may be an issue for the
client)
-moralizing
-interrogating
-reluctance to refer
