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Chapter 4: Professional Settings and Career Choices
Multiple Choice
All of the following are important benchmarks in the development of a counselor
except:
a. Counselor clarity
b. Counselor self-efficacy
c. Counselor cognitive complexity
d. Counselor identity
_________________________ is defined as a counselor’s conceptualization of who they are
as a counselor and serves as a reference point for the roles and decisions that one
makes within the profession.
a. Counselor self-efficacy
b. Counselor clarity
c. Counselor identity
d. Counselor cognitive complexity
Which of the following activities contribute to the important benchmarks in the
development of a counselor?
a. Work experience
b. Graduate education
c. Workshops
d. All of the above
The textbook indicated that students find professional training important. What is
one of the reasons why this is?
a. Students have an opportunity to discuss contemporary issues in the field
with peers
b. Students have an opportunity to vent about the frustrating and difficult
aspects of the field
c. Students often receive support and encouragement from peers
d. Students can specialize in a different subdivision during professional
trainings
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“Pretraining period characterized by overinvolvement, boundary problems, and
giving advice based on one’s own experiences” describes which phase of
therapist/counselor development?
a. The beginning student
b. The novice professional
c. The lay helper
d. The senior professional
Frank is the lead professional counselor in his agency. He is very satisfied with his
job and often provides mentorship to both new and seasoned counselors about
professional issues and cases they are working on. Frank attends conferences to
stay current on his techniques and brings back the knowledge he learns about to his
fellow counselors. Frank is most likely at what phase of therapist/counselor
development?
a. The advanced student
b. The senior professional
c. The experienced professional
d. The lay helper
“Intense and engaging work while beginning on one’s own; period of
disillusionment with training and exploration of other models” describes which
phase of therapist/counselor development?
a. The beginning student
b. The novice professional
c. The advanced student
d. The experienced professional
The textbook reported that in 2008, counselors held about 665,500 positions in the
United States. Which type of counselor was the most prevalent?
a. Mental health counselors
b. Substance abuse and rehabilitation counselors
c. Marriage and family counselors
d. Vocational and school counselors
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What is one of the most prevalent health issues in the United States?
a. Substance use disorders
b. Prescription drug abuse
c. Depression
d. Gambling disorder
What does MAC stand for?
a. Mental health Association Counselor
b. Medical Association for Counseling
c. Master’s in Advanced Counseling
d. Master Addictions Counselor
What is a challenge for addictions counseling?
a. Turnover rate in the field is high
b. Selecting a graduate training program that fulfills the requirements to
become an Addictions Counselor is difficult
c. The need for Addictions Counselors has steadily declined over the last
decade
d. The settings in which Addictions Counselors work are undesirable
Which organization defines the standards and competencies for the career
counseling subspecialty area?
a. ACA
b. NCDA
c. MAC
d. CMHC
Which of the following clients would a career counselor most likely work with?
a. Jonathan, a 25-year-old entry level employee who is deciding whether he
wants to go to graduate school or apply for a job at a different company
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b. Anita, a 49-year-old who was terminated from her previous job due to
mental health challenges
c. Samantha, an 18-year-old college freshman who is having difficult time
adjusting to college life and being away from home
d. Michael, a 35-year-old teacher who has been drinking alcohol while at
work to cope with personal and professional stressors
Which of the counseling subspecialties is considered the most encompassing?
a. Career counseling
b. School counseling
c. Marriage, couple, and family counseling
d. Clinical mental health counseling
Which counseling subspecialty is involved with promoting mental health and
treating diagnoses?
a. School counseling
b. Mental health counseling
c. Clinical mental health counseling
d. Marriage, couple, and family counseling
Clinical mental health counseling is a specialization that combined:
a. Mental health counseling and community counseling
b. Mental health counseling and clinical counseling
c. Mental health counseling and family counseling
d. Mental health counseling and psychological counseling
What is the purpose of college and student affairs counseling?
a. Ensure all students are satisfied with their selected area of study
b. Assist students in obtaining full-time employment following graduation
c. Prevent mental health challenges by monitoring the mental health and
well-being of students
d. Provide support to students who need to work through psychological
issues that affect academic success
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Which type of counselor would view a client’s problem as located within the large
systemic context of interactions between people?
a. Clinical mental health counselor
b. Marriage and family therapist
c. Relationship counselor
d. Rehabilitation counselor
What is a primary difference between Marriage and Family Therapists and
individual counselors?
a. How the problem is viewed
b. How the problem is treated
c. Who is involved in treatment
d. How the problem is assessed
Approximately when did the field of MFT develop?
a. 1920’s and 1930’s
b. 1940’s and 1950’s
c. 1970’s and 1980’s
d. 1990’s
The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) has
established all of the following for the MFT field except:
a. Standards for clinical supervision
b. Accreditation requirements for graduate programs
c. Legal guidelines
d. Ethical guidelines
What activity would a school counselor most likely engage in?
a. One-on-one counseling
b. Assessment and diagnosis of mental health disorders
c. Preventative counseling
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d. Assessment of skills and abilities to assist students in career and/or
college decisions
Which of the following has provided a unifying model for comprehensive school
counseling programs?
a. The ACA Model and Framework for Graduate Training in School
Counseling
b. The ASCA National Model: A framework for School Counseling Programs
c. The AAMFT Programming Outline
d. The NCDA Standards and Competencies
The ASCA National Model includes four components that can be utilized in any
school. Which of the following is not considered one of the components?
a. Needs assessment
b. Management
c. Delivery
d. Foundation
The primary focus of the ASCA national model for school counseling programs is:
a. Accountability
b. Foundation
c. Collaboration
d. Delivery
The textbook describes several challenges school counselors face in their work. All
of the following are discussed except:
a. Limited knowledge of culturally appropriate interventions for their
increasingly diverse student population
b. Carrying larger than recommended caseloads
c. A movement toward increased involvement in the special education
process
d. Unclear roles within schools
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The counseling subspecialty description “works with individuals with cognitive,
mental, developmental, physical, and emotional disabilities to attain their individual,
occupational, and self-determined living goals in the most holistic settings possible
through counseling” describes:
a. Career counseling
b. School counseling
c. Clinical mental health counseling
d. Rehabilitation counseling
Which of the following organizations focuses on quality rehabilitation counseling
services through the certification of rehabilitation counselors and promotion of
leadership in the profession?
a. CRCC
b. ARCA
c. ACA
d. ASCA
According to Schmidt and Adkins (2011), what is one of the most critical activities
an individual can engage in for continued counselor development?
a. Continuing education credits
b. Field experiences
c. Reflection
d. Supervision
Ken is a new counselor who continues to think about his identity as a counselor and
what is important to him. He thinks about his previous experiences and the
experiences he wants to have in the future to help him become a better counselor.
Ken would be described as a:
a. Reflective practitioner
b. Congruent practitioner
c. Practitioner that values self-concept
d. Practitioner that emphasizes values
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True/False
Counselor complexity refers to one’s confidence and describes one’s beliefs about
his or her level of ability to practice different aspects of counseling.
According to Ronnestad and Skovholt (2003), there are six phases of
therapist/counselor development.
The certification and licensure process for addictions counselors is fairly simple,
compared to the processes for other types of counselors.
Addictive Disorders, a new category in the DSM-V, includes disorders such as
Internet overuse and workaholism.
Approximately 1 in 10 adults have a problem with alcohol.
Of all the counseling subspecialties, technology has had its largest impact on the
career counseling subspecialty.
Career counselors only work with individuals to evaluate their interests, abilities,
and skills to help them find an appropriate occupation.
There are several well-researched assessments and interventions for career
counselors to utilize with clients.
Clinical mental health counseling is projected to have a higher than average increase
in job opportunities between 2008 and 2018.
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There has been a shortage of college and student affairs counseling positions and
the projected outlook for future positions looks poor.
A primary difference between individual counselors and MFTs are the way in which
they view problems.
Students in MFT graduate programs complete additional coursework specializing in
marriage and family counseling.
School counselors are permitted to diagnose students with a mental health disorder.
School counseling is projected to have the highest increase in job opportunities
between 2008 and 2018.
Rehabilitation counseling emerged as a result of legislation providing rehabilitation
services to veterans with disabilities to assist them in independent living and
vocational goals.
Short-Answer/Essay
What are the three characteristics that are important in the development of a
counselor? Describe each characteristic and why they are important for professional
counselors.
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Describe the six phases of therapist/counselor development.
What are the seven counseling subspecialties discussed in the textbook?
Provide a brief description of each of the counseling subspecialties discussed in the
textbook.
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What are the main professional associations for career counselors, MFTs, school
counselors, and rehabilitation counselors?
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Discuss ways that a counselor continues to develop both personally and
professionally. What activities do you see yourself engaging in to grow?
What are the five factors to consider when thinking about your career trajectory?