CA LAW & ETHICS EXAM (LPCC) QUESTIONS WITH ALL CORRECT
SOLUTIONS
Professional clinical counseling - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅- application of counseling
interventions and psychotherapeutic techniques to identify and remediate cognitive, mental, and
emotional issues, including personal growth, adjustment to disability, crisis intervention, and
psychosocial and environmental problems
- conducting assessments for the purpose of establishing counseling goals and objectives to
empower individuals to deal adequately with life situations, reduce stress, experience growth,
change behavior, and make well-informed rational decisions
- focused exclusively on the application of counseling interventions and psychotherapeutic
techniques for the purposes of improving mental health, and is not intended to capture other,
nonclinical forms of counseling for the purposes of licensure.
Scope of Practice for LPCC - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅- does not include the assessment
or treatment of couples or families unless the counselor has completed additional training and
education, beyond the minimum training and education required for licensure
- not include the provision of clinical social workservices
- can use of assessments within counselors' scope of practice.
- no restriction for LPCCs or PCCIs to assess and treat children
What are the requirements for LPCC who would like to work with families, couples, and
children? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅- LPCCs and PCCIs can work with children,
families, and couples as long as they are supervised LMFT, LCSW, licensed psychologist,
licensed physician (board-certified in psychiatry) or a LPCC (completed 500hrs and 6 MFT
graduate hrs w/ written confirmation from BBS).
- take 6 sem units/9 qtr hrs of MFT theory
- 500 hrs supervised work with children, family, couples
- 6 CEU MFT specific course each renewal cycle
Counselor impairment - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Being alert to early signs of personal
problems (fatigue, burnout, depression, substance abuse) that may prevent one from fulfilling
professional obligations.
,How should a counselor deal with impairment? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅- maintain
consultation and supervision
- seek treatment
- provide appropriate referrals if necessary
If a client will benefit from being referred to another provider, what should a therapist do? -
CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅- have a termination session focusing on transitioning them to a
new provider
- appropriate referrals
- clt sign ROI authorizing new and old therapist to communicate for continuity of care
- f/up with new therapist to transfer records and coordination of care
What could potentially happen if therapist is unaware of his/her personal values, attitudes, and
beliefs? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅- incorrect diagnoses and poor tx decisions
- bias toward one or more family members (if qualified to work with couples and family)
- may become overly friendly/hostile with a clt
- likely to miss or misinterpret impt clinical info
How to manage impact of therapist's attitudes? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅- consider how
attitudes are impacting tx
- seek supervision or consultation to ensure quality of care
- personal therapy to identify source of attitudes/beliefs/values
- refer if it continues to interfere, be careful not to abandon and referral is not discriminatory in
nature
T/F: If therapist refers clt out based on personal attitudes about race, gender, or other protected
characteristics, the therapist is not engaging in discrimnation. - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅✅False, it is discrimination
, Autonomy - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅CLT has fundamental right to choose for
themselves what kinds of mental health they will participate in, except for those who present an
imminent danger to selves or others (involuntary hospitalization)
- clt can discontinue/change provider any time
What is the primary reason for the existence of legal and ethical obligations? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅✅to protect the best interests of clients
When there is a direct conflict between the code of ethics and the law, what should a therapist
do? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅follow what the law dictates
T/F: The agency policies trumps the code of ethics for counselors. - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅✅False, agency policies does not excuse a counselor from following ethical
obligations.
informed consent for counseling - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅an ethical principle that
research participants be told enough to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate
___________ is the cornerstone of the counseling relationship according to ACA Code of Ethics.
- CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Trust
respect the dignity and promote the welfare of clients - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅primary
responsibilities of counselors
In developing a treatment plan, who is in charge? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅counselor
and clt collaborating
T:/F Counselors can engage in a personal virtual relationship
with individuals with whom they have a current counseling
relationship (e.g., through social and
SOLUTIONS
Professional clinical counseling - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅- application of counseling
interventions and psychotherapeutic techniques to identify and remediate cognitive, mental, and
emotional issues, including personal growth, adjustment to disability, crisis intervention, and
psychosocial and environmental problems
- conducting assessments for the purpose of establishing counseling goals and objectives to
empower individuals to deal adequately with life situations, reduce stress, experience growth,
change behavior, and make well-informed rational decisions
- focused exclusively on the application of counseling interventions and psychotherapeutic
techniques for the purposes of improving mental health, and is not intended to capture other,
nonclinical forms of counseling for the purposes of licensure.
Scope of Practice for LPCC - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅- does not include the assessment
or treatment of couples or families unless the counselor has completed additional training and
education, beyond the minimum training and education required for licensure
- not include the provision of clinical social workservices
- can use of assessments within counselors' scope of practice.
- no restriction for LPCCs or PCCIs to assess and treat children
What are the requirements for LPCC who would like to work with families, couples, and
children? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅- LPCCs and PCCIs can work with children,
families, and couples as long as they are supervised LMFT, LCSW, licensed psychologist,
licensed physician (board-certified in psychiatry) or a LPCC (completed 500hrs and 6 MFT
graduate hrs w/ written confirmation from BBS).
- take 6 sem units/9 qtr hrs of MFT theory
- 500 hrs supervised work with children, family, couples
- 6 CEU MFT specific course each renewal cycle
Counselor impairment - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Being alert to early signs of personal
problems (fatigue, burnout, depression, substance abuse) that may prevent one from fulfilling
professional obligations.
,How should a counselor deal with impairment? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅- maintain
consultation and supervision
- seek treatment
- provide appropriate referrals if necessary
If a client will benefit from being referred to another provider, what should a therapist do? -
CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅- have a termination session focusing on transitioning them to a
new provider
- appropriate referrals
- clt sign ROI authorizing new and old therapist to communicate for continuity of care
- f/up with new therapist to transfer records and coordination of care
What could potentially happen if therapist is unaware of his/her personal values, attitudes, and
beliefs? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅- incorrect diagnoses and poor tx decisions
- bias toward one or more family members (if qualified to work with couples and family)
- may become overly friendly/hostile with a clt
- likely to miss or misinterpret impt clinical info
How to manage impact of therapist's attitudes? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅- consider how
attitudes are impacting tx
- seek supervision or consultation to ensure quality of care
- personal therapy to identify source of attitudes/beliefs/values
- refer if it continues to interfere, be careful not to abandon and referral is not discriminatory in
nature
T/F: If therapist refers clt out based on personal attitudes about race, gender, or other protected
characteristics, the therapist is not engaging in discrimnation. - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅✅False, it is discrimination
, Autonomy - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅CLT has fundamental right to choose for
themselves what kinds of mental health they will participate in, except for those who present an
imminent danger to selves or others (involuntary hospitalization)
- clt can discontinue/change provider any time
What is the primary reason for the existence of legal and ethical obligations? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅✅to protect the best interests of clients
When there is a direct conflict between the code of ethics and the law, what should a therapist
do? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅follow what the law dictates
T/F: The agency policies trumps the code of ethics for counselors. - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅✅False, agency policies does not excuse a counselor from following ethical
obligations.
informed consent for counseling - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅an ethical principle that
research participants be told enough to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate
___________ is the cornerstone of the counseling relationship according to ACA Code of Ethics.
- CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Trust
respect the dignity and promote the welfare of clients - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅primary
responsibilities of counselors
In developing a treatment plan, who is in charge? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅counselor
and clt collaborating
T:/F Counselors can engage in a personal virtual relationship
with individuals with whom they have a current counseling
relationship (e.g., through social and
