Clinical Cards Flashcards
Conversion
A defense mechanism in which anxiety or emotional conflict is transformed into overt physical manifestations or symptoms such as pain, loss of feeling, or paralysis.
Crisis
An internal experience of emotional change and distress; precipitated by a perceived life problem resulting in internal discord because the individual’s typical coping strategies are inadequate.
Introjection
A mental mechanism in which the individual derives feelings from another person or object and directs them internally to an imagined form of the object or person
Secondary Gain
The advantages or benefits one derives from a physical or mental illness, such as attention, freedom from responsibility, and disability benefits.
Differential Diagnosis
The process of distinguishing between similar mental
disorders or social problems on the basis of their compared and unique characteristics.
Resistance
Conscious or unconscious avoidance behavior used by the client to protect oneself from the influence of the social worker.
Defense Mechanism
A mental process that protects an individual from anxiety, feelings of guilt, or unacceptable thoughts.
Confidentiality
A principle of ethics according to which the social worker or other professionals may not disclose information about a client without a client’s consent; In specific circumstances, such as threats of violence, the commission of crimes, and suspected child abuse, the social worker may be compelled by law to reveal to designated authorities some information.
Flat Affect
The appearance of apathy in mood, sometimes seen as a symptom of schizophrenia or depression.
Partialization
The social work process of temporarily considering a
client’s interconnected problems as separate entities so that work toward
their solution can be more manageable.
Developmental Stages
The progression of physical and mental changes
occurring over time that results in clusters of identifiable and predictable
characteristics tending to occur during specific periods
Bereavement
The emotional and physical reaction to the loss of a loved one.
Enabler
Often indicates the actions of one who facilitates the
dysfunctional behavior of another.
Rationalization
Presenting in logical terms or interpreting the reasons for some action or events; is also used as a defense mechanism in which a person explains or justifies an action or thought to make it acceptable when it is unacceptable at a deeper psychological level.
Reaction Formation
A defense mechanism in which the person behaves or
thinks in ways or assumes values that are the opposite of the original unconscious trait.
Self-Determination
An ethical principle in social work that recognizes the
rights and needs of clients to be free to make their own choices and decisions; includes helping the client know what the resources and choices are and helping the client implement the decision made.
Role Re-Equilibration
The process that takes place between two or more
people to end the conflict; This is usually achieved by clarifying mutual expectations.
Akinesia
Reduced or minimal motor movement.
Akathisia
A sustained pattern of fidgety movements, such as
swinging of the legs, rocking, tapping the feet or hands, pacing, and being unable to remain in a position for long.
Dystonia
Sustained abnormal postures or muscle spasms, symptomatic of mental disorders.
Ecomap
A diagram of family relationships is used to depict a variety of reciprocal influences between the client and those people related to the client, relevant social institutions, and environmental influences.
Genogram
A diagram often used in family therapy to depict family
relationships extended over at least three generations
Boundaries
A central concept in family systems theories pertaining to the implicit rules that determine how the family members or subsystems are expected to relate to one another and to nonfamily members.
Interventions
The treatment process and other activities to solve or
prevent problems or achieve goals.
Values
The customs, beliefs, standards of conduct, and
principles considered desirable by a culture, a group of people, or an individual.
Manipulative Behavior
Actions intended to control and often exploit the thoughts, feelings, or responses of others; may be intentional or unconscious.
Referral
The social work process of directing a client to an
agency, resources, or a professional known to be able to provide a needed service.
Consultation
An interpersonal relationship between an individual or
organization possessing special expertise and someone who needs that expertise to solve a specific problem.
Assessment
The process of determining the nature, cause,
progression, and prognosis of a problem.
Rapport
In the social work interview, the state of harmony,
compatibility, and empathy that permits mutual understanding and the working relationship between the client and the social worker.
Dual Diagnosis
The identification of coexistent diseases within an individual; is most commonly associated with a problem with drugs or alcohol and another psychiatric disorder.
Organic
Pertaining to the biological aspects of an individual; This is most commonly used to distinguish between physiological and psychosocial problems.
Denial
The defense mechanism that protects the personality from anxiety or guilt by disavowing or ignoring unacceptable thoughts, emotions, or wishes.
Dual Relationship
The unethical practice of assuming a second role with the client in addition to professional helpers, such as a friend, business associate, family member, or sex partner.
Dependency
A state of reliance on other people or things for existence or support, nurturance, protection, security, and shelter.
Subpoena
A legal document ordering an individual to appear in court at a certain time; Failure to comply may result in some penalty.
Predisposition
A tendency to develop a trait or attribute under the right circumstance.
Adaptation
A reciprocal process between the individual and the
environment, often involving changing the environment or being changed by it.
Compulsion
A strong and repetitive urge to act in a certain way; frequently a means of relieving anxiety.
Coping Skill
Effective behavior an individual uses in responding to or avoiding sources of stress.
Kleptomania
Compulsive stealing; The theft is often motivated by emotional release, excitement, or gratification and not by the need for the object or its material value.
Labile Affect
Abrupt shifts and excessive variation in an individual’s
expression of affect.
Learned Helplessness
A pattern of behavior that is frequently seen in victims of spouse abuse and child abuse, in which the individual responds passively to risks of harm.
Unconscious Motivation
A compelling wish or drive that is out of an individuals
immediate awareness but that influences him or her to act in a way that would seem contrary to his or her rational objectives.
Ego Strength
The individual’s capacity for logical thinking, intelligence, perceptiveness, and self-control over impulses to achieve immediate gratification.
Privilege
The premise and understanding between therapist and
a client that the information revealed by the client will not be divulged to others without expressed permission; Courts often honor this unless there is a risk of public danger or threat to the public good.
Ego Syntonic
Traits of personality, thought, behavior, and values that are incorporated by the individual who considers them acceptable and consistent with his or her overall “true” self.
Countertransference
A set of conscious or unconscious emotional reactions to a client experienced by a therapist; These feelings usually originate in the therapist’s own developmental conflicts or past.
Tardive Dyskinesia
A medication-induced movement disorder that includes
uncontrollable physical movements, especially in the face, lips, and tongue, and sometimes repetitive movements of the head, hands, and feet.
Negative Reinforcement
In behavior modification, the strengthening of a response through the removal of adverse stimuli.
Empathy
The act of perceiving, understanding, experiencing, and responding to the emotional state and ideas of another person.
Extinction
In behavior modification, the elimination or weakening of a conditioned response by discontinuing the reinforcement after the response occurs.
Transference
A concept that refers to emotional reactions that are assigned to current relationships but originated in earlier experiences (often the feelings a client has toward a therapist).
Reinforcement
In behavior modification, a procedure that strengthens the tendency of a response to recurring.
Informed Consent
The granting of permission by the client to the therapist or agency to use specific interventions, including diagnosis, treatment, follow up, and research; This must be based on full disclosure of the facts needed to make
the decision, including risks, benefits, and alternatives.
Punishment
A penalty imposed for misbehavior in behavior modification; the presence of an unpleasant or undesired event following a behavior.
Projection
A defense mechanism in which unacceptable aspects of one’s own personality are rejected or attributed to another person or entity.
Positive Reinforcement
Strengthening a desired behavior or response by presenting the desired stimulus contingent on the performance of the response.
Scapegoating
A phenomenon in groups in which members settle on a particular person to target or blame, though that person is often innocent; prevents true group cohesion and distracts from the actual group purpose.
Supervision
An administrative and educational process used to help someone further develops and refine his or her skills enhances staff morale and provides quality assurance for clients.
Empowerment
The process of helping individuals, families, groups, and communities increase their strengths and develop influence toward improving their circumstances.
Ego Dystonic
Traits of personality, behavior, thought, or orientation
considered to be unacceptable, repugnant, or inconsistent with the individual’s perceptions—conscious or unconscious—of himself or herself.
Triangulation
The process in which one individual who feels pressured, distressed, or powerless in relating to another individual brings into the relationship a third person to act as an ally or a distracter.
Enmeshment
A relationship pattern in which role boundaries between individuals are so vague or diffuse that there is little opportunity for independent functioning.
