Core Counseling Theories Flashcards

In Adlerian therapy, the concept of 'social interest' (Gemeinschaftsgefühl) refers to:

Answer: An innate sense of belonging and contribution to the community

Adler viewed social interest as a core human striving — a sense of identification with and contribution to society.

Which technique is MOST associated with Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)?

Answer: Disputing irrational beliefs

REBT's hallmark technique is the active disputation of irrational beliefs using the ABC-DE model developed by Albert Ellis.

A counselor using existential therapy would MOST likely focus on:

Answer: The client's freedom, responsibility, and search for meaning

Existential therapy centers on ultimate concerns such as freedom, isolation, meaninglessness, and death as sources of anxiety.

The 'empty chair' technique is most closely identified with which theoretical orientation?

Answer: Gestalt therapy

Fritz Perls developed the empty chair (or two-chair) technique in Gestalt therapy to help clients work through unfinished business.

In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), 'automatic thoughts' are best described as:

Answer: Spontaneous, brief thoughts that arise in response to situations

Automatic thoughts are rapid, involuntary cognitions that appear in response to situations and lie between core beliefs and emotional responses in Beck's cognitive model.

Which of the following BEST describes the 'miracle question' used in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy?

Answer: Asking clients to imagine a future in which the problem is solved overnight

The miracle question (de Shazer) invites clients to envision how life would look if the problem disappeared, helping identify goals and resources.

The concept of 'confluence' in Gestalt therapy refers to:

Answer: A contact boundary disturbance where the self and environment are not distinguished

Confluence is a contact boundary disturbance in which the person blurs the distinction between self and other, leading to loss of individual identity.