CADC Alcohol and Drug Counselor Core Counseling Theories 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In Gestalt therapy applied to addiction counseling, the concept of 'unfinished business' refers to:
- Incomplete treatment documentation left by a previous counselor
- Unexpressed emotions from past experiences that affect present functioning (Correct answer)
- Relapse episodes that were not addressed in prior treatment
- Financial debts incurred during active addiction
Correct answer: Unexpressed emotions from past experiences that affect present functioning
Gestalt therapy views unfinished business as lingering emotional residue from past events that disrupts present awareness and functioning.
Question 2: Psychodynamic approaches to addiction treatment often conceptualize substance use as a defense against:
- Social isolation and loneliness
- Unconscious conflict and painful affect (Correct answer)
- Cognitive distortions and maladaptive schemas
- Peer pressure and environmental triggers
Correct answer: Unconscious conflict and painful affect
Psychodynamic theory views substance use as a self-medication strategy to manage intolerable unconscious conflicts and emotions.
Question 3: The concept of 'self-efficacy' as applied in relapse prevention models originates primarily from:
- Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory
- Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory (Correct answer)
- Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
- Erik Erikson's psychosocial development stages
Correct answer: Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory
Bandura's Social Learning Theory introduced self-efficacy as a person's belief in their ability to perform a behavior, which is central to Marlatt's relapse prevention model.
Question 4: In Adlerian therapy, substance abuse is frequently interpreted as reflecting which core concept?
- Conditioned responses to environmental stimuli
- Feelings of inferiority and mistaken lifestyle goals (Correct answer)
- Imbalances in neurotransmitter systems
- Lack of behavioral reinforcement for sober living
Correct answer: Feelings of inferiority and mistaken lifestyle goals
Alfred Adler emphasized that substance use often compensates for deep-seated feelings of inferiority and reflects a mistaken approach to achieving significance.
Question 5: Which MI principle is violated when a counselor argues directly with a client about whether they have a drinking problem?
- Express empathy
- Roll with resistance (Correct answer)
- Develop discrepancy
- Support self-efficacy
Correct answer: Roll with resistance
MI's 'roll with resistance' principle advises counselors to avoid argumentation because direct confrontation typically strengthens client resistance.
Question 6: Reality Therapy, developed by William Glasser, would address substance use by helping the client:
- Explore unconscious drives that motivate drug-seeking behavior
- Evaluate whether their behavior is meeting their basic needs effectively (Correct answer)
- Practice relaxation techniques to manage cravings
- Identify distorted automatic thoughts about substances
Correct answer: Evaluate whether their behavior is meeting their basic needs effectively
Reality Therapy focuses on helping clients evaluate whether their current behavior is effectively meeting their basic needs (survival, love, power, freedom, fun).
Question 7: A counselor trained in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) would most likely ask a client which type of question to identify times when substance use was not a problem?
- Scaling questions
- Miracle questions
- Exception questions (Correct answer)
- Coping questions
Correct answer: Exception questions
Exception questions in SFBT ask clients to identify times when the problem did not occur, helping to build on existing strengths and successes.
CADC Alcohol and Drug Counselor Core Counseling Theories 3
In Gestalt therapy applied to addiction counseling, the concept of 'unfinished business' refers to: