All of the following statements regarding dual relationships are true, EXCEPT
a. it can be difficult to recognize potential dual relationships before they occur
b. the counseling profession has little consensus about their propriety, with the
exception of sexual dual relationships
c. all dual relationships are avoidable if the counselor practices conscientiously
d. traditional notions about the propriety of dual relationships are being challenged by
newer, innovative approaches to counseling
e. the potential outcomes of dual relationships range from beneficial to harmful
Answer:
In regard to giving credit to contributors to research projects in published reports
a. a footnote is sufficient.
b. every person who contributed must be listed as a co-author.
c. the major professor of a dissertation study must be listed as first author.
d. appropriate credit must be given, but there are no firm rules.
e. individuals who were paid to assist do not have to be given any credit.
Answer:
When a counselor communicates with a client using e-mail
a. the counselor should never include anything that is confidential because it is
unethical to do so.
b. the client’s business e-mail address should never be used because employers often
read the e-mail messages of their employees.
c. the client should be told to avoid using e-mail to set or change appointment times
because it is impossible to tell whether the counselor received the message that was
sent.
d. the client should be advised that e-mail messages can always be retrieved and that
e-mail systems are not as secure as other means of communication.
e. the counselor should never print out the e-mail messages because the client’s
confidentiality would be compromised by the existence of paper copies.
Answer:
While you are a counseling graduate student
a. you have a different code of ethics from the one of practicing counselors.
b. you must follow the same code of ethics as practicing counselors.
c. you will not be held accountable for making ethical mistakes.
d. the ethical standards you are held to are less rigorous than those imposed on
practicing counselors.
e. you do not have a code of ethics that applies to you.
Answer:
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.
Answer:
Studies of women who have been involved in sexual relationships with their professors
indicate
a. that at first the women believed the relationship was consensual, but in retrospect
they viewed it as more coercive.
b. the women suffered no negative consequences from those relationships.
c. the women most often initiated the relationships.
d. the women suffered serious psychological damage from the relationships.
e. the women later had sexual relationships with their own students.
Answer:
To be effective when counseling clients with physical disabilities, counselors should
a. focus on the clients’ adjustment to disability.
b. take a more directive, behavioral approach in working with the clients.
c. refer these clients to a rehabilitation counselor.
d. focus on the clients’ abilities rather than limitations.
e. assume that the clients’ presenting problems are related to their disability.
Answer:
Ethical standards for consultants in the mental health field
a. are covered extensively in all codes of ethics.
b. are given minimal attention in codes of ethics.
c. are not needed because consultants rarely face ethical dilemmas.
d. are published by an association of mental health consultants.
e. are being developed by the American Psychological Association and will soon be
published.
Answer:
The primary purpose of the ACA Code of Ethics is
a. to guide our own behavior.
b. to address in an appropriate manner the behavior of other mental health professionals
that appears to be unethical.
c. to set standards for ethics committees to use when complaints are filed.
d. to provide a means of punishing unethical counselors.
e. to prove to the public that counselors are professionals.
Answer:
All of the following statements are true, EXCEPT
a. counselors should consult with colleagues when they are uncertain about an
exception to
confidentiality.
b. confidentiality and privilege belong to the client, not the counselor.
c. confidentiality and privilege are not absolute.
d. counselors should consult with colleagues when they are uncertain about an
exception to privileged communication.
e. both confidentiality and privileged communication are based on the client’s right to
privacy.
Answer:
Consultation and supervision are alike in that
a. both consultants and supervisors serve as gatekeepers to the profession.
b. both consultants and supervisors are accountable for the work of the counselors who
have sought their services.
c. both consultants and supervisors are required to be licensed to provide their services
in most states.
d. both the consultative and the supervisory relationships are tripartite.
e. both consultants and supervisors provide direct services to clients.
Answer:
Within the counseling profession the primary national voluntary certification agency is
a. American Mental Health Counselors Association
b. American Counseling Association.
c. American Association for Counseling and Development.
d. National Board for Certified Counselors.
e. National Registry of Certified Counselors.
Answer:
With respect to a counselor’s legal liability when a client commits suicide
a. very few lawsuits are filed against counselors due to client suicide.
b. when lawsuits have been brought against counselors due to client suicide, the
counselors usually have been found negligent.
c. the case of Eisel v. Board of Education established that school counselors cannot be
held responsible for a student’s suicide.
d. counselors are held to the legal standard that they must correctly assess suicide risk
e. counselors should not document consultations regarding suicidal clients, because the
documentation could later be used against them in a lawsuit.
Answer:
The professional literature suggests that students often believe they receive inadequate
preparation in the content area of
a. ethics
b. technology
c. social justice and advocacy
d. group counseling
e. counseling theories
Answer:
In distance counseling, counselors may be subject to
a. only the ethical standards developed by the state counseling association in which the
client resides.
b. ethical standards developed by ACA and state licensing boards, and the laws
and regulations of both the counselor’s and the client’s physical locations
c. ethical standards, but not legal requirements, as laws do not yet address
distance counseling
d. only the ethical standards developed by the state counseling association in which the
counselor resides.
e. only ethical standards developed by NBCC for credentialed distance counselors
Answer:
When it comes to determining who has the right to make decisions regarding a child’s
life, the law favors
a. the adult with whom the child is living.
b. grandparents, if they are raising the child.
c. biological parents.
d. the child himself or herself.
e. the child’s adult sibling.
Answer:
All of the situations below may lead to client dependency EXCEPT
a. managed care programs that limit the number of counseling sessions.
b. the requirement in internship that counselors in training have a minimum number of
client contact hours.
c. the belief that a counselor is effective if the client returns for counseling sessions on a
regular basis.
d. a counselor has a strong need to be needed by others.
e. it is less risky for clients to maintain close relationships with counselors than with
others in their lives .
Answer:
Flexibility in relationship boundaries between counselor educators and students may be
more acceptable than between counselors and clients because in counselor
educator/student relationships, the student
a. cannot be harmed.
b. is near the same age.
c. is an adult.
d. eventually becomes a colleague.
e. does not need protection from abuse.
Answer:
The _____________ credential is offered through the Center for Credentialing and
Education by NBCC for those interested in specializing in distance counseling.
a. Distance Certified Counselor (DCC)
b. National Distance Counselor (NDC)
c. Certified Distance Counselor (CDC)
d. National Certified Distance Counselor (NCDC)
e. Distance Certified Counseling Specialist (DCCS)
Answer:
All of the following steps are suggested when counselors open private practices,
EXCEPT
a. obtain a federal tax ID number if there are any employees.
b. apply and obtain a business license.
c. purchase liability, property damage, or other types of insurance.
d. form a corporation, because it is the only way to protect your personal assets.
e. obtain a professional license if one is required in the state to practice counseling
independently.
Answer:
Generally, counselors create clinical case notes
a. to protect themselves in the event they are later sued.
b. for their own use, so that they may be effective counselors.
c. for insurance companies who reimburse clients for the cost of mental health services.
d. to keep up with whether the client attended sessions on particular days and whether
the client paid for the sessions that were rendered.
e. so that they may reflect upon their counseling sessions and improve their skills.
Answer:
Counselors who practice from a developmental perspective
a. focus on the physical development of their clients because physical development has
a significant impact on the emotional well-being of clients.
b. focus on the intellectual development of their clients because clients must be taught
to understand themselves and function more effectively.
c. see personal development as a difficult goal to attain that requires the help of
counselors who understand the human condition.
d. view most problems people encounter as natural and normal because all
developmental stages of life bring challenges.
e. believe that all stages of life traumatize clients and the counselor’s role is to treat the
trauma their clients have experienced.
Answer:
A supervisor is competent if he or she
a. holds the supervisor certificate offered by the Center for Credentialing and Education
(CCE), a corporate affiliate of the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).
b. is a competent counselor.
c. has completed a graduate level course in supervision.
d. is approved to be a supervisor by a state licensing board.
e. can supervise other counselors in a professional and appropriate manner.
Answer:
Counselors do NOT have an ethical obligation to uphold the confidentiality of
information revealed to them when
a. a family member of an adult client asks for information the client has revealed in an
individual counseling session
b. a client reveals that he committed a burglary two years ago and was never caught
c. they encounter a client in the grocery store and the client reveals information about
an event that occurred in the client’s life between sessions
d. a client has refused to sign a release of information giving the counselor permission
to communicat with the client’s former counselor
e. an adult client discloses that she was sexually abused ten years ago by her father who
is now deceased
Answer:
When a client accuses a counselor of wrongdoing through a complaint with the
counselor’s licensure board or through a malpractice law suit filed in court,
a. the client automatically waives his or her privacy rights and the counselor can reveal
private information related to providing counseling services to the client.
b. the client’s written permission must be obtained before the counselor can reveal
private information related to providing counseling services to the client.
c. counselors are barred from revealing any information about the client when
defending themselves.
d. counselors may reveal only information the client agreed may be revealed when
defending themselves.
e. counselors can use no information from the counseling relationship with the client in
defending themselves.
Answer:
Distressed counselors or counselors suffering from burnout are terms used to refer to
a. incompetent counselors.
b. counselors who have committed malpractice.
c. counselors who have had their licenses revoked.
d. impaired counselors.
e. counselors who have recently been fired from their jobs.
Answer:
With respect to counseling minor clients who are considering abortion
a. counselors should be aware that most teens avoiding talking to their parents about
pregnancy because
adolescents need to rebel against parental authority
b. that these clients may need to process issues of abuse, loss, love, and hopes for the
future
c. counselors should advocate their own moral position regarding abortion
d. counselors should exercise care when assisting a minor to obtain an abortion
e. counselors should immediately refer these clients to medical professionals
Answer:
The 2014 ACA Code of Ethics advises counselors to
a. uphold the confidentiality rights of their minor clients even when parents object.
b. avoid legal liability by including parents in counseling sessions with their children.
c. avoid legal liability by disclosing to parents any risky behavior of a minor client,
such as experimenting with drugs or alcohol.
d. establish collaborative relationships with parents.
e. obtain minor clients’ legal informed consent for counseling services.
Answer:
When a counselor uses a networked or shared computer for the storage of confidential
information on clients, the counselor should
a. never let anyone else know or be able to access the password.
b. Store confidential records on a portable storage device rather than on the computer’s
hard drive.
c. only use computers that are kept behind locked doors.
d. have a manual lock placed on the computer that requires a key.
e. never print out confidential information because it might be read by others.
Answer:
When clients seek counseling related to issues such as abortion, assisted suicide,
interracial marriage, premarital sex, or sexual identity, counselors
a. must accept such clients for counseling services even if these issues distress
counselors on a personal level.
b. must be able to rise above any personal feelings they have about such issues and have
an obligation to assist all clients who come to them for services.
c. must examine their own values regarding these issues to ensure they can provide
counseling services without allowing their own beliefs to interfere.
d. should immediately refer such clients to other counselors who specialize in
counseling persons with those particular concerns.
e. should accept such clients for counseling only if the counselor has experienced such
issues in his or her personal life and has successfully resolved them.
Answer:
If a counselor is asked to disclose privileged information about a client who cannot be
located, then the obligation to assert the privilege rests with
a. the client’s next of kin.
b. the counselor.
c. the client’s attorney.
d. the client’s spouse, if any.
e. the executor of the client’s estate.
Answer: