NCMHCE Group Counseling Theories 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A counselor co-facilitating a group disagrees with the co-leader's intervention mid-session. The BEST response is to:
- Immediately correct the co-leader in front of the group
- Address the disagreement after the session in supervision or consultation (Correct answer)
- Take over facilitation for the remainder of the session
- Ask group members to vote on which intervention was better
Correct answer: Address the disagreement after the session in supervision or consultation
Co-leader disagreements should be processed outside of group time to maintain a unified therapeutic stance and avoid triangulating members.
Question 2: In narrative therapy groups, 'externalizing the problem' means:
- Blaming external circumstances for personal difficulties
- Separating the person's identity from the problem they are experiencing (Correct answer)
- Sharing problems publicly to reduce shame
- Projecting feelings onto other group members
Correct answer: Separating the person's identity from the problem they are experiencing
Externalizing treats the problem as separate from the person, allowing members to examine their relationship to the problem rather than seeing themselves as the problem.
Question 3: Which ethical principle requires a group leader to inform prospective members about the nature, purpose, risks, and expectations of the group before they join?
- Beneficence
- Informed consent (Correct answer)
- Fidelity
- Justice
Correct answer: Informed consent
Informed consent mandates that potential group members receive clear information about the group experience so they can make a voluntary, knowledgeable decision to participate.
Question 4: A group leader observes that a quiet member is being consistently overlooked during discussions. The MOST appropriate intervention is to:
- Wait for the member to advocate for themselves
- Directly call on the quiet member every few minutes
- Use a linking statement to draw in the member and connect their experience to the group discussion (Correct answer)
- Remind the group that everyone should speak equally
Correct answer: Use a linking statement to draw in the member and connect their experience to the group discussion
Linking connects a quiet member's experiences or nonverbal cues to the ongoing group discussion, drawing them in without putting them on the spot.
Question 5: The ASGW Best Practice Guidelines recommend that group workers conduct a screening interview primarily to:
- Determine insurance coverage and billing codes
- Assess fit between the member's needs and the group's purpose, and identify contraindications (Correct answer)
- Establish the group's confidentiality rules
- Collect demographic data for outcome research
Correct answer: Assess fit between the member's needs and the group's purpose, and identify contraindications
Pre-group screening ensures that prospective members are appropriate for the specific group and that the group will not be harmful to them or others.
Question 6: In a cognitive-behavioral therapy group for depression, 'behavioral activation' involves encouraging members to:
- Challenge their depressogenic core beliefs directly
- Engage in scheduled, rewarding activities to counteract withdrawal and avoidance (Correct answer)
- Practice progressive muscle relaxation daily
- Keep a thought diary between sessions
Correct answer: Engage in scheduled, rewarding activities to counteract withdrawal and avoidance
Behavioral activation targets the withdrawal and inactivity that maintain depression by scheduling pleasurable and meaningful activities to increase positive reinforcement.
Question 7: A group member discloses that they are currently in individual therapy with another provider. The group leader's BEST response is to:
- Ask the member to choose between individual and group therapy
- Explore whether there are concerns about confidentiality between providers
- Request a release of information and consider coordinating care with the individual therapist (Correct answer)
- Inform the individual therapist immediately without the member's consent
Correct answer: Request a release of information and consider coordinating care with the individual therapist
Coordinating care with the member's consent promotes integrated treatment and avoids conflicting therapeutic messages, while respecting confidentiality.
NCMHCE Group Counseling Theories 4
A counselor co-facilitating a group disagrees with the co-leader's intervention mid-session.
The BEST response is to: