A client with a history of self-harm, emotional instability, intense and unstable relationships, and chronic feelings of emptiness is referred to therapy. What evidence-based treatment modality is MOST appropriate for this client?

A clinical social worker notices that she is becoming unusually defensive and annoyed when a client complains about the speed of therapy. The social worker has a personal history of feeling criticized by family members. What is this dynamic, and what should the social worker do?

A client presents with severe PTSD symptoms after a major car accident. The social worker decides to utilize Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). What is a primary requirement before beginning EMDR processing phases?

During a session, a client begins to panic while describing a traumatic event, hyperventilating and looking around in confusion, losing touch with the room. What should the social worker do FIRST?

A social worker is working with a client who repeatedly attributes their own unacceptable feelings of anger onto their partner, claiming ‘He is the one who is always furious with me.’ What defense mechanism is this client demonstrating?

A client presents with severe OCD, experiencing persistent handwashing rituals that take 3 hours a day. What evidence-based treatment is the gold standard for this condition?

A client reports that they are afraid of flying. The clinical social worker works with the client to visualize taking a flight while maintaining deep diaphragmatic breathing. What is this technique?

During a session, a client diagnosed with BPD alternates between praising the social worker as ‘perfect’ and denouncing them as ‘cold and uncaring’ when a session starts 5 minutes late. What defense mechanism is this?

A social worker utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). A client states, ‘If I fail this exam, my entire career is over and my life is a waste.’ What is the social worker’s best intervention?

A clinical social worker uses mirroring, validation, and empty-chair dialogues in therapy. What theoretical orientation are these techniques drawn from?

A client in psychodynamic therapy repeatedly arrives late, misses appointments, and falls silent when discussed topics touch on their mother’s illness. What does this behavior represent?

A clinical social worker is treating a client who suffered a major trauma. The social worker utilizes trauma-informed care principles. What is the primary baseline expectation?

A client is struggling with severe social anxiety. The clinical social worker suggests the client practice entering a coffee shop and asking a simple question to the cashier as a homework assignment. What behavioral technique is this?

A clinical social worker is providing family therapy. The parents complain that their 12-year-old child is ‘the problem,’ but the social worker views the child’s behaviors as a symptom of marital conflict and subsystem boundaries. What perspective is the social worker utilizing?

A client in therapy repeatedly tells jokes and changes the subject whenever they discuss feelings of grief regarding their father’s death. What defense mechanism is this?