Clinical Terms Flashcards
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. When this occurs, a good first step is to seek supervision (not just colleague consultation, as colleagues may not have adequate training to know how to respond to this)
Transference
The emotional reactions that are assigned to current relationships but originated
in earlier experiences (often presenting as the feelings a client has toward a therapist). When a client experiences this interaction with the therapist, it can be discussed and used
therapeutically.
Dual Diagnosis
The occurrence of coexistent diagnoses within an individual. This is most commonly associated with a substance use disorder and another psychiatric disorder
Dual Relationship
Having a second role with the client in addition to the client-therapist relationship (such as friend, business associate, family member, sex partner, etc.). Simply put, a dual relationship is anytime we know a client outside of the therapeutic relationship
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
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.
Empathy
A therapeutic technique in which the social worker communicates to a client that they perceive and understand the experiences, emotional state, and/or ideas of their client
Empowerment Model
This model utilizes interventions that help people achieve a sense of control in their lives by using a client’s strengths, resources, and resilience. It aims to reduce powerlessness created by social and political environments that oppress.
Evidence Based Practice
This combines the social worker’s clinical experience, code of ethics, and client preferences with well-researched interventions to guide the treatment and services a client receives to achieve their therapeutic goals.
Informed Consent
The process of a client granting permission to engage in treatment after receiving information about treatment, including potential risks and benefits.
Self-Determination
An ethical principle of social work that allows clients to make their own choices about their treatment and their lives
Reframing
A technique used to help clients see their situation in a new light or from a different perspective they haven’t thought of.
Reflection/Reflective Listening
When using reflection, the social worker is accurately
describing the client’s verbal and nonverbal clues, listening and responding to not just the
content, but the feelings of the client. It involves communicating that you accurately sense the
world as they are experiencing it. Reflection is like holding up a mirror in counseling; you are
reflecting back the essence of what the client has just communicated (verbally and nonverbally) to you.
Interpretation
The therapist’s clinical impression of the meaning behind a behavior/communication. It goes beyond the explicit and observable client content and involves
communicating an inferred component with the intention of adding new knowledge,
understanding, or meaning.
Summary
Condensing the main points of what the client is saying or feeling in a session. It
covers the primary components of the session so the client has an opportunity to recap key
points of the session before it ends.
