ANCC Domain 4- Psychotherapy and Related Therapies
1. The following scenario is an example of the defense
mechanism sublima- tion:
a. A mother of a child killed in a drive-by shooting becomes
involved in legislative change for gun laws and violence.
b. A host despises one of the party guests yet greets him
warmly and offers him food, beverages, and special attention.
c. An employee is embarrassed by a boss at work and angrily
cuts a driver off on the way home.
d. A group therapy member strongly dislikes another member
but claims that it is the member who dislikes her.
Rationale: Sublimation is redirecting unacceptable feelings into an
acceptable channel.
- A mother of a child killed in a drive-by shooting becomes involved in
legislative change for gun laws and violence. (sublimation)
- A host despises one of the party guests yet greets him warmly and
offers him food, beverages, and special attention. (reaction
formation)
- An employee is embarrassed by a boss at work and angrily cuts a
driver off on the way home. (displacement)
- A group therapy member strongly dislikes another member but
claims that it is the member who dislikes her. (projection)
2. Johnny, an 8-year-old male, presents with his foster
mother for an initial evaluation. When interviewing the foster
mother alone, it is confirmed that Johnny was taken out of his
home due to sexual abuse by his stepfather.
As the treating PMHNP, you know which of the following are
evidence-based treatments for Johnny:
a. Interpersonal therapy
b. Trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy
c. Family therapy
d. Behavioral therapy
Rationale: Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy is the
minimum standard of therapy for a child with a history of trauma.
,3. Psychotherapy which stresses the importance of
recognizing patterns of thoughts and how thought influences
feelings and behaviors best describes:
, a. Cognitive behavioral therapy
b. Family therapy
c. Supportive therapy
d. Group therapy
Rationale: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) posits that by learning
how thoughts and behaviors influence our feelings, we can learn to
have more control over our feelings.
4. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is often one of the first-
line treatments for anorexia nervosa. One of the primary goals
of CBT is to assist the patient in which of the following ways?
a. Overcome distorted thinking
b. Resolve symptoms of depression
c. Restore weight above 85% of normal
d. Improve interpersonal relationships
Rationale: CBT teaches patients to identify, evaluate, and respond to
their dysfunc- tional thoughts and beliefs.
5. In co-leading a group of elementary children divorcing
parents, a child shared that his parents were arguing over
the weekend and calling each other names.
What is the most appropriate intervention at this juncture?
a. Ask the child how he was affected by the incident and ask
other children how they handle similar situations.
b. Ask the child how he was affected by the incident and
facilitate sharing of similar incidents by other children
c. Ask the other children in the group if they experienced
similar situations and how they handled their feelings
d. Allow the child to finish describing the situation and then
ask how he felt about hearing this argument
Rationale: Self-disclosure: Use judgment as to the appropriateness of
letting a child go into detail about personal matters in a group. In an
elementary school group, you may not want to let a child go into detail
about a parental fight. An important intervention is directing the child
to express how he was affected by the incident.
1. The following scenario is an example of the defense
mechanism sublima- tion:
a. A mother of a child killed in a drive-by shooting becomes
involved in legislative change for gun laws and violence.
b. A host despises one of the party guests yet greets him
warmly and offers him food, beverages, and special attention.
c. An employee is embarrassed by a boss at work and angrily
cuts a driver off on the way home.
d. A group therapy member strongly dislikes another member
but claims that it is the member who dislikes her.
Rationale: Sublimation is redirecting unacceptable feelings into an
acceptable channel.
- A mother of a child killed in a drive-by shooting becomes involved in
legislative change for gun laws and violence. (sublimation)
- A host despises one of the party guests yet greets him warmly and
offers him food, beverages, and special attention. (reaction
formation)
- An employee is embarrassed by a boss at work and angrily cuts a
driver off on the way home. (displacement)
- A group therapy member strongly dislikes another member but
claims that it is the member who dislikes her. (projection)
2. Johnny, an 8-year-old male, presents with his foster
mother for an initial evaluation. When interviewing the foster
mother alone, it is confirmed that Johnny was taken out of his
home due to sexual abuse by his stepfather.
As the treating PMHNP, you know which of the following are
evidence-based treatments for Johnny:
a. Interpersonal therapy
b. Trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy
c. Family therapy
d. Behavioral therapy
Rationale: Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy is the
minimum standard of therapy for a child with a history of trauma.
,3. Psychotherapy which stresses the importance of
recognizing patterns of thoughts and how thought influences
feelings and behaviors best describes:
, a. Cognitive behavioral therapy
b. Family therapy
c. Supportive therapy
d. Group therapy
Rationale: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) posits that by learning
how thoughts and behaviors influence our feelings, we can learn to
have more control over our feelings.
4. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is often one of the first-
line treatments for anorexia nervosa. One of the primary goals
of CBT is to assist the patient in which of the following ways?
a. Overcome distorted thinking
b. Resolve symptoms of depression
c. Restore weight above 85% of normal
d. Improve interpersonal relationships
Rationale: CBT teaches patients to identify, evaluate, and respond to
their dysfunc- tional thoughts and beliefs.
5. In co-leading a group of elementary children divorcing
parents, a child shared that his parents were arguing over
the weekend and calling each other names.
What is the most appropriate intervention at this juncture?
a. Ask the child how he was affected by the incident and ask
other children how they handle similar situations.
b. Ask the child how he was affected by the incident and
facilitate sharing of similar incidents by other children
c. Ask the other children in the group if they experienced
similar situations and how they handled their feelings
d. Allow the child to finish describing the situation and then
ask how he felt about hearing this argument
Rationale: Self-disclosure: Use judgment as to the appropriateness of
letting a child go into detail about personal matters in a group. In an
elementary school group, you may not want to let a child go into detail
about a parental fight. An important intervention is directing the child
to express how he was affected by the incident.
