Chapter 12
Counseling Families and Groups
Answer Key
1. Family counselors often view the family system as their client and treat the family as one
entity—as opposed to treating individual family members—and our laws:
a. favor the rights of families, as a whole, over the rights of individual family members.
b. support family counselors by also viewing the family system as one entity.
c. create a “fiction” that a family is a person under the law.
d. view family members as having separate and distinct rights and responsibilities that
are individual in nature.
e. do not recognize that families exist in our society.
2. If a counselor wants a person other than a biological parent or legal guardian (such as a
step-parent or grandparent) to have confidential information regarding a minor client, a
simple solution is to:
a. tell the step-parent or grandparent to go to court and get a court order giving them
access to the information.
b. get a signed statement from the step-parent or grandparent that they will not reveal
the information to anyone else once it is given to them.
c. get a signed statement from the minor client, allowing the counselor to disclose
information to the step-parent or grandparent.
d. get a signed statement from one of the biological parents or legal guardians, allowing
the counselor to disclose information to the step-parent or grandparent.
e. ask the step-parent or grandparent to prove the child is living with them, and then it is
acceptable to give them access to confidential information regarding the child.
3. A family counselor who uses paradoxical directives or interventions could get into trouble,
because clients who follow their prescriptions for behavior may be:
a. confused.
b. harmed.
c. engaging in illegal activities.
d. suspicious of the counselor’s motives.
e. distracted.
4. Regarding the law of privileged communication, in relation to family and group
counseling,
a. most privilege laws cover all family members and group members who are being
counseled at one time.
b. privilege among group or family members in counseling is the same as it is between
the counselor and individual clients.
c. generally, privilege is waived if there is a third-party present during counseling.
d. privilege never exists during family or group counseling in any state.
e. privilege always exists during family or group counseling in all states.
5. When married couples divorce,
a. almost all states allow joint custody and in a few state courts, joint custody is the
preferred arrangement; while in some other state courts, joint custody is avoided if
possible.
b. all states prefer joint custody.
c. joint custody is preferred by judges in all state courts except for Montana.
d. although almost all states allow joint custody, only one state court favors joint
custody as the preferred arrangement.
e. judges in almost all states prefer joint custody.
6. A counselor who is beginning a group SHOULD:
a. require all group members to sign a pledge to keep information from the group
confidential.
b. explain that nothing is confidential because group members do not have the same
obligation as professional counselors to keep information private.
c. explain that while the counselor will keep things confidential, there is no guarantee
others in the group will do the same.
d. guarantee all information in the group will remain private.
e. explain that group members who violate the confidentiality of other group members
will be reported to the counselor’s state licensure board.
7. Pre-screening of group members:
a. is a good idea but is not required by the ACA Code of Ethics.
b. is required by the ACA Code of Ethics.
c. is recommended but not required by the ACA Code of Ethics.
d. is an ethical practice that all counselors adhere to.
e. is an ethical standard that is meant to protect counselors from being sued.
8. Because children cannot give their legal consent to participate in family counseling,
a. parental consent should be obtained in writing from both biological parents.
b. they should not be included in family counseling prior to age 18.
c. it is illegal to include them in a family counseling session unless their parents have
consented in writing.
d. a court order should be obtained before including a child in a family counseling
situation.
e. they should be informed of the process of family counseling and their consent should
be secured even though it is not legally required.
9. When one spouse in a married couple demands that a counselor testify in court as to what
occurred in counseling sessions, and the other spouse insists that the counselor not testify,
the best course of action is for the counselor to:
a. agree to testify because one spouse is demanding that.
b. refuse to testify because one spouse is insisting that the counselor not testify.
c. call the state licensure board for advice.
d. contact the ACA Ethics Committee and request an opinion.
e. consult with an attorney and follow his or her advice.
10. In order for a counselor to be competent to engage in group work, the counselor:
a. must be a member of the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW).
b. must have the training outlined in the ASGW Professional Standards for the Training
of Group Workers.
c. must have had a minimum of group work preparation and supervised experience.
d. must be certified by ASGW.
e. must have had at least two graduate courses in group work and have completed a 600-
hour internship in group counseling.
11. In the process of explaining Informed Consent in family counseling, counselors SHOULD:
a. describe possible changes in family relationships that could occur as a result of family
counseling.
b. explain that one family member will be designated as the identified patient for
insurance reimbursement purposes.
c. assure family members that any changes made in family functioning as a result of
counseling will be acceptable to all family members.
d. counsel separately, on an individual basis, any family member who expresses
reluctance to participate in family counseling.
e. require each family member to sign a confidentiality pledge and agree not to discuss
topics raised in session during the intervals between sessions.
12. Informed Consent in group counseling SHOULD include:
a. a reassurance that the counselor will not allow any events to occur that might put
group members at physical or psychological risk.
b. a clear statement that there is no confidentiality in group settings.
c. an explanation that once the group starts, no one will be allowed to exit the group for
the first month.
d. an explanation of ways the group may be congruent and incongruent with individual
members’ cultural values.
e. an explanation that the members themselves are fully responsible for setting the
goals, purpose, and ground rules of the group.
13. When counseling victims of domestic violence, counselors SHOULD:
a. avoid encouraging the victim to leave the relationship until safety can be assured.
b. report the abuser to the police.
c. try to persuade the victim to leave the abuser.
d. remember that the abuser is probably himself or herself a victim of abuse.
e. never see the members of the couple separately, to avoid deceit.
14. Counselors who intend to conduct family counseling as part of their professional practice
SHOULD:
a. complete a degree program in marriage and family counseling rather than in clinical
mental health counseling.
b. disclose their own family of origin issues as part of the Informed Consent process.
c. advocate for the preservation of a couple’s marriage.
d. seek separate licensure as Marriage and Family Therapists.
e. gain specific training in marriage and family counseling, including supervised
experience.
15. When a member expresses a desire to drop out of an ongoing group, the counselor
SHOULD:
a. persuade the member to stay in the group for the good of the group.
b. bring the group to a close and start over with members who wish to continue.
c. encourage the member to discuss the decision with the group.
d. notify the remaining members in writing of that member’s decision.
e. assume that the group is dysfunctional.
Answer Key
