MFT National Exam Study Guide
Questions and Answers.
Double-Bind (Bateson/Jackson/Haley/Weakland) -
\Two or more people involved in an ongoing relationship; one person in the relationship
has more power than the other; the person without power cannot escape from the
relationship; two or more contradicting/conflicting injunctions are given to the person
with less power (Often on different communication levels).
Fusion -
\The blurring of psychological boundaries between self and others, per Bowen.
Projection (Bowen) -
\When a parent transmits their emotional problems to a child. Focusing on a child out of
fear that something is "wrong", interpreting behaviors as confirmation, and treating the
child as if something is wrong.
Second-Order Cybernetics -
\Objectivity is impossible because the therapist becomes a part of the observed system.
The problem creates a system. Used with families in crisis. A system is an agent in its
own right which interacts with the observer.
"Classic" Symptoms of Depression -
\Sleep, Eating, Energy/Motivation
Best predictor of future violent behavior -
\Past Violent Behavior
Differentiation of Self (Bowen) -
\Being able to see the self as separate from the family but still part of it
Symmetrical Communication -
\Interchange based on equal power.
Complementary Communication -
\Interchange based on accepted differences in power.
Mystification (Laing) -
\Similar to gaslighting, the act of invalidating, tainting, or clouding a person's
experiences - especially those of a child in a family setting.
Pseudohostility -
, \Wynne's term to describe the use of chronic conflict to create a somewhat superficial
alienation of family members, thereby masking an individual member's need for intimacy
and affection.
Sociogram -
\a diagram that represents relationships within a group, especially likes and dislikes of
members for other members
Positive Feedback (GST) -
\Upsets homeostasis and increases deviation from a steady state.
Negative Feedback (GST) -
\Maintains homeostasis and minimizes deviation from a steady state.
Projected Resentment -
\Essentially means the same thing as guilt; used in Gestalt Therapies.
Marriage Contract (Sager) -
\A concrete list of what partners expect to give and receive in return within the confines
of a marriage in order to better assess the level of agreement in what the couple's
expectations are for the relationship.
Cognitive Triad (Beck) -
\Cognitive profile underlying depression: negative views about oneself, the world, and
the future
First Order Change (Strategic Family Therapy) -
\Superficial behavioral change within a system that doesn't change the structure of
system. Often a focus of Brief Therapy.
Second Order Change (Strategic Family Therapy) -
\Changes to systematic interaction pattern so that the system itself is reorganized and
functions better. Provides resolution.
Stages of Change (Transtheoretical Model) -
\Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance
Harsh Startup (Gottman) -
\Starting a conversation negatively greatly impacts the rest of the conversation and can
often predict the outcome.
Hallucination -
\Experience based on false sensory inputs. Can be any sense but visual and auditory
are most common.
Delusion -
Questions and Answers.
Double-Bind (Bateson/Jackson/Haley/Weakland) -
\Two or more people involved in an ongoing relationship; one person in the relationship
has more power than the other; the person without power cannot escape from the
relationship; two or more contradicting/conflicting injunctions are given to the person
with less power (Often on different communication levels).
Fusion -
\The blurring of psychological boundaries between self and others, per Bowen.
Projection (Bowen) -
\When a parent transmits their emotional problems to a child. Focusing on a child out of
fear that something is "wrong", interpreting behaviors as confirmation, and treating the
child as if something is wrong.
Second-Order Cybernetics -
\Objectivity is impossible because the therapist becomes a part of the observed system.
The problem creates a system. Used with families in crisis. A system is an agent in its
own right which interacts with the observer.
"Classic" Symptoms of Depression -
\Sleep, Eating, Energy/Motivation
Best predictor of future violent behavior -
\Past Violent Behavior
Differentiation of Self (Bowen) -
\Being able to see the self as separate from the family but still part of it
Symmetrical Communication -
\Interchange based on equal power.
Complementary Communication -
\Interchange based on accepted differences in power.
Mystification (Laing) -
\Similar to gaslighting, the act of invalidating, tainting, or clouding a person's
experiences - especially those of a child in a family setting.
Pseudohostility -
, \Wynne's term to describe the use of chronic conflict to create a somewhat superficial
alienation of family members, thereby masking an individual member's need for intimacy
and affection.
Sociogram -
\a diagram that represents relationships within a group, especially likes and dislikes of
members for other members
Positive Feedback (GST) -
\Upsets homeostasis and increases deviation from a steady state.
Negative Feedback (GST) -
\Maintains homeostasis and minimizes deviation from a steady state.
Projected Resentment -
\Essentially means the same thing as guilt; used in Gestalt Therapies.
Marriage Contract (Sager) -
\A concrete list of what partners expect to give and receive in return within the confines
of a marriage in order to better assess the level of agreement in what the couple's
expectations are for the relationship.
Cognitive Triad (Beck) -
\Cognitive profile underlying depression: negative views about oneself, the world, and
the future
First Order Change (Strategic Family Therapy) -
\Superficial behavioral change within a system that doesn't change the structure of
system. Often a focus of Brief Therapy.
Second Order Change (Strategic Family Therapy) -
\Changes to systematic interaction pattern so that the system itself is reorganized and
functions better. Provides resolution.
Stages of Change (Transtheoretical Model) -
\Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance
Harsh Startup (Gottman) -
\Starting a conversation negatively greatly impacts the rest of the conversation and can
often predict the outcome.
Hallucination -
\Experience based on false sensory inputs. Can be any sense but visual and auditory
are most common.
Delusion -
