In determining whether a child is a danger to self or others, the counselor should do all
of the following EXCEPT
a. consult with a colleague.
b. consider the age and maturity level of the client.
c. follow the institutional policy on the issue.
d. assure the client of complete confidentiality.
e. document any actions taken.
Answer:
Graduate degree programs in counseling attempt to ensure their graduates are
competent counselors by doing all of the following EXCEPT
a. selecting and admitting individuals who are likely to succeed at developing the skills,
knowledge, and characteristics needed to become effective counselors.
b. using personal interviews, written essays, or other subjective criteria in selecting
candidates for admission.
c. providing a curriculum for master’s students that prepares students to be effective
counselors.
d. eliminating from graduate programs any students who have their own emotional
issues.
e. requiring successful supervised experience as a part of the graduate program.
Answer:
Supervision agreements between a clinical supervisor and supervisee
a. must be in writing to be legal.
b. should not be in writing, to avoid the appearance of a relationship that is too formal.
c. should be in writing so both parties understand the terms of the relationship clearly.
d. are required by federal law to be in writing.
e. can be modified once they begin only if they are in writing.
Answer:
Boundaries serve to protect the welfare of clients because
a. counselors are vulnerable in counseling relationships.
b. clients are vulnerable in counseling relationships.
c. counselors and clients would often become friends if boundaries did not exist.
d. counselors and clients naturally are attracted to each other.
e. clients might use counselors to get their personal needs met if there were no
boundaries.
Answer:
Regarding counselors’ personal values, counselors
a. must always avoid disclosing their own personal values to their clients.
b. should avoid discussions of values if their own values conflict with those of their
clients.
c. could disclose their values to a client, if it is possible to do so in a way that conveys
to the client that the client’s values can be accepted or rejected without risking the
relationship.
d. could disclose their values to a client, but only if the counselor holds the same values
as the client.
e. should disclose their values to clients so that clients see the counselor as genuine and
authentic.
Answer:
When local chapters, state branches, regions, and divisions of ACA receive ethical
complaints against members, they refer them to
a. the supervisor of the counselor.
b. the American Psychological Association ethics committee.
c. the state licensing board.
d. a certification board.
e. the national ACA ethics committee.
Answer:
A counselor who is beginning a group
a. should require all group members to sign a pledge to keep information from the
group confidential.
b. should explain that nothing is confidential because group members do not have the
same obligation as professional counselors to keep information private.
c. should explain that while the counselor will keep things confidential, there is no
guarantee others in the group will do the same.
d. should guarantee all information in the group will remain private.
e. should explain that group members who violate the confidentiality of other group
members will be reported to the counselor licensure board.
Answer:
From the perspective of principle ethics, a counselor who is counseling a client
planning a violent act against another person and who intervenes to notify family
members is
a. sacrificing client autonomy in order to prevent harm and to do good.
b. sacrificing fidelity in order to be truthful.
c. sacrificing justice in order to be faithful to promises made.
d. sacrificing veracity in order to protect the client’s anonymity.
e. sacrificing beneficence in order to promote fidelity.
Answer:
A core belief that members of the counseling profession hold concerning helping others
with their mental health concerns is
a. it is important to identify the illness presented by the person asking for assistance.
b. the goal is to help the individual return to the level of functioning enjoyed before the
illness occurred.
c. remediation is the most appropriate means in dealing with emotional and personal
problems.
d. prevention and early intervention are the most appropriate means to deal with
emotional and personal problems.
e. giving support often is all that is necessary for people to resolve their personal crises.
Answer:
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.
Answer:
Keeping good records can benefit both counselors and clients in the following ways,
EXCEPT:
a. proving that the counselor is not impaired or suffering for burnout
b. providing continuity of care if a client is transferred to another provider
c. measuring progress in treatment
d. creating an accurate history of diagnosis, treatment, and recovery
e. offering self-protection for counselors
Answer:
With respect to confidentiality and privileged communication
a. confidentiality and privileged communication are both primarily ethical issues.
b. confidentiality and privileged communication are both primarily legal issues.
c. confidentiality is primarily a legal issue, and privileged communication is primarily
an ethical issue.
d. confidentiality is primarily an ethical issue, and privileged communication is
primarily a legal issue.
e. it depends on the context as to whether confidentiality and privileged communication
are ethical or legal issues.
Answer:
Counselors may view a client’s social media profile
a. never.
b. when the client has given the counselor consent to view the information.
c. if the counselor has concerns about a client’s safety.
d. to determine whether the client shares acquaintances with the counselor.
e. to verify a client’s identity.
Answer:
The most important resource for counselors to use in learning about different racial,
cultural, or ethnic groups is
a. their clients.
b. their colleagues who are from racial, cultural, or ethnic groups different from their
own.
c. professional associations that focus on multicultural counseling issues.
d. books on multicultural counseling.
e. professional journal articles on multicultural counseling.
Answer:
When administrative and clinical supervisors give corrective feedback to supervisees,
that feedback
a. must be followed by the supervisee.
b. should be broad and general, avoiding specifics.
c. must be given very gently to avoid distressing the supervisee.
d. should be given only at specified intervals, such as once a month or once a quarter.
e. should be ongoing, coupled with periodic evaluation and opportunities to correct
deficiencies.
Answer:
When the client is deceased and there is no statutory language dealing with privilege
and the death of the holder, the individual who usually is allowed to assert the privilege
is
a. the client’s last counselor.
b. the client’s legal representative.
c. the client’s spouse or next of kin.
d. the judge hearing the case.
e. a guardian ad litem appointed by a judge for that particular purpose.
Answer:
Concealing from individuals that they are being studied and deceiving individuals with
false information during a study
a. are forbidden by codes of ethics.
b. are sensitive areas and researchers must take care to insure that participants are not
harmed when such activities take place.
c. require that participants be paid.
d. could be used as a basis to revoke a counselor’s license.
e. are activities that would never be undertaken by professional researchers because
studies can always be completed without resorting to such negative tactics.
Answer:
A counselor who is under the clinical supervision of another counselor should
a. introduce the supervisor to all clients.
b. inform clients that he or she is in supervision and disclose the name of the supervisor
to them.
c. require that clients sign a document indicating they know the counselor is under
supervision and that they do not object to the supervisor knowing their personal
information.
d. inform clients that he or she is a beginning counselor.
e. avoid telling clients he or she is in supervision so that clients will not be concerned.
Answer:
When attempting to make an ethical decision, it is recommended that counselors take
all of the following steps EXCEPT
a. tune into their feelings.
b. involve the client in the decision making process.
c. consider the moral principles.
d. consult with an attorney.
e. identify desired outcomes.
Answer:
In matters of student evaluations or dismissals from academic programs, courts
a. carefully review the basis upon which professors made their decisions and determine
whether or not it was a reasonable decision, given the circumstances.
b. defer to the judgment of professors, unless the professors failed to use an acceptable
number system in making their decisions.
c. defer to the judgment of professors, unless the professors used only subjective
decision-making.
d. defer to the judgment of professors, unless established procedures were violated or
the evaluations were clearly unfair.
e. usually reverse the decisions of professors because students do not sue unless they
have been treated unfairly.
Answer:
Counselors who work in the military may encounter unavoidable dual relationship
issues because
a. military counselors are rarely asked to evaluate service members whom they counsel
b. military counselors may have a superior-subordinate relationship with their clients
c. counselors who work in the military usually practice off-base
d. it is difficult for someone steeped in military training to feel empathy
e. they are less comfortable with role blending than are counselors in other settings
Answer:
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.
Answer:
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.
Answer:
In compliance with the Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention,
Treatment, and Rehabilitation Act of 1972, federally funded substance abuse programs
can disclose client records under the following circumstances:
a. when the client gives written consent
b. in the event of a medical emergency
c. for an audit or evaluation
d. to avert substantial risk of death or serious bodily harm if a court order is secured
e. all of the above
Answer:
If you believe your supervisor at your work setting is forcing you to act in what you
consider to be an unethical manner, you should
a. report your supervisor to the state licensing board.
b. report your supervisor to the American Counseling Association Ethics Committee.
c. resign your position immediately to avoid being held in violation of your professional
code of ethics.
d. hire an attorney who will attempt to force your employer to allow you to practice in
an ethical manner.
e. try to work with your supervisor to resolve the problem.
Answer:
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.
Answer:
In two recent court cases, students in counseling master’s degree programs were
dismissed from their training programs because they failed to
a. demonstrate basic listening skills
b. change their religious beliefs
c. learn to counsel LGBTQIQ clients effectively
d. complete the required number of direct contact hours working with clients during
practicum
e. refer clients whose diagnoses were so severe that they lacked competence to counsel
these clients
Answer:
Storing clients’ records electronically
a. provides a higher level of security than paper records.
b. is not cost effective.
c. is the preferred method for storing client records.
d. ensures confidentiality.
e. prevents unauthorized individuals from viewing records.
Answer:
A ‘sliding scale” in counseling refers to
a. a chart that indicates the degree to which a client is functioning.
b. a system of rotation that determines when a counselor is “on call” for the weekend.
c. a fee structure based on the client’s family income and family size.
d. a fee structure based on the net worth of the individual.
e. the degree to which a counselor is willing to render a diagnosis to meet the
requirements of an insurance company or third party payer.
Answer:
A definition of a “boundary” that is offered in the text is
a. a limit that promotes nonmaleficence
b. a frame around the therapeutic relationship that defines the participants’ roles in the
relationship
c. a situation in which a counselor enters into two or more roles with a help seeker
d. an inappropriate intimacy between counselor and client
e. a potentially beneficial interaction between counselor and client
Answer:
Legislators agree to license a professional group, such as counselors, only when it can
be shown that
a. other professional groups that are already licensed do not oppose the licensing of this
new group.
b. the public cannot determine which practitioners are competent, and they might be
harmed by incompetent members of that profession.
c. the public cannot determine which practitioners are competent, and the services the
professional group provides require extensive education.
d. the rates for services of the professional group will go down if they are licensed.
e. the professional group needs to be licensed in order to gain the recognition it needs to
be recognized as a legitimate profession in society.
Answer:
Students who have not been able to demonstrate the skills needed to be effective
counselors
a. must be given opportunities to remediate their deficiencies before a dismissal
decision is made
b. are required by CACREP to repeat the practicum course
c. are required to switch to a different major
d. should be endorsed by faculty for graduation but not for employment as counselors
e. should be required to take a year’s leave of absence from the training program
Answer:
The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
(CACREP)
a. sets standards for preparing counselors, social workers, and school psychologists
b. requires that an individual hold a doctoral degree in order to be CACREP-certified
c. encourages faculty who train counselors to have diverse backgrounds as counselors,
counseling psychologists, and clinical social workers
d. requires that training programs offer a 100-clock-hour practicum and a 300-clock
hour internship
e. has been generally accepted as the model curriculum for training counselors
Answer:
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), which is sometimes
referred to as the “Buckley Amendment,” affects all
a. community mental health centers in the United States.
b. public educational institutions.
c. private or parochial educational institutions.
d. public hospitals.
e. private hospitals.
Answer:
What do you see as the characteristics of a “culturally competent counselor”?
Answer:
What are differences between a friendship and a counseling relationship?
Answer:
What steps do counselors need to take to ensure that counseling records kept
electronically are secure and that client privacy is maintained?
Answer:
What is plagiarism and why do you think so many college students get into trouble
because they plagiarize?
Answer:
How would you define the term dual relationship?
Answer:
If you were a prospective client seeking counseling, how would you go about fining a
counselor who is competent to help you?
Answer:
How is confidentiality different when counseling couples, families, or groups, as
opposed to counseling an individual client?
Answer:
What do you think you should do if you know that a classmate is struggling and does
not seem to be learning the skills, behaviors, and dispositions needed to become a
competent counselor?
Answer:
How do you think the wellness model of mental health espoused by counselors is
different from the illness model or medical model of mental health?
Answer:
Evaluation as an end in itself is a very different process from counseling. Why would a
counselor want to be an evaluator?
Answer:
Counselors have a duty to warn intended victims of their clients in all states EXCEPT:
a. Kansas
b. Ohio
c. Arkansas
d. Texas
e. California
Answer:
Why do you think it is important for master’s-level students to understand research?
Answer: