Professional Orientation and Ethics

Question 1

The NBCC Code of Ethics and Ethical Standards of the American Counseling Association (ACA) do not include a statement reflecting the principle that

A. counselors have a right to protect clients from themselves if the clients give evidence of being self-injurious.
B. revelation of a counselors notes on a client should not be made to other professional unless the client has
provided written permission to do so or the information has been subpoenaed by a court of law.
C. counselors should receive appropriate fees for services rendered regardless of the situations or settings in which the services were rendered.
D. improvement of the profession through a variety of professional involvements is a responsibility of all counselors.

Answer 1

C. counselors should receive appropriate fees for services rendered regardless of the situations or settings in which the services were rendered.

Question 2

The state in which you reside does not yet have counselor licensure, so a local civic club has asked you to address their members to present an overview of counselor licensure and its benefits to the public. In your presentation to the group you note that

A. licensure automatically entitles counselors to receive third-party payments from insurance companies.
B. some professional groups (eg. psychologists) have opposed counselor licensure although the need for mental health services for the public has increased steadily.
C. state-level counselor licensure laws have existed for over 40 years although it is only recently that a majority of the states have counselor licensure laws.
D. one of the ways that counselor licensure laws protect the publics general warfare is through restriction of the use of the term “counselor” to those persons who have graduated from counselor education programs.

Answer 2

B. some professional groups (eg. psychologists) have opposed counselor licensure although the need for mental health services for the public has increased steadily.

Question 3

A client has concluded a series of counseling sessions with another counselor and has now come to you for counseling. According to the NBCC Ethical Standards, you should

A. proceed as you would with any other new client.
B. contact the other counselor and find out if it is appropriate for you to counsel the client.
C. contact the other counselor to ensure that you do not cover the same topic areas with the client.
D. advise the client to continue with the other counselor.

Answer 3

A. proceed as you would with any other new client.

Question 4

88 Your employer has a policy which necessitates that you report all instances of child abuse to state authorities. A client alludes (in your judgment) to the possibility of (the client) being a child abuser. As a counselor you should

A. contact your lawyer; the policy is a violation of the “fair trade” laws.
B. refer the person elsewhere; receipt of a salary constitutes voluntary agreement with the employers policies.
C. inform the client of the policy and let the client decide how to proceed.
D. contact a consultant; then do as the consultant suggests.

Answer 4

C. inform the client of the policy and let the client decide how to proceed.

Question 5

A married couple comes to you, as a counselor in private practice, and tells you that they are having marital difficulties and have sought counseling for resolution of them. In the course of an initial session with them, one of the spouses reports being a new and active member of the local Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) group. You should

A. investigate the nature of the local AAs activities and continue counseling if those activities do not include accepted definitions of counseling.
B. terminate counseling with the one spouse but continue to work with the spouse who is not an AA participant.
C. offer to co-counsel with the staff of the local AA.
D. refer both spouses to the local AA.

Answer 5

A. investigate the nature of the local AAs activities and continue counseling if those activities do not include accepted definitions of counseling.

Question 6

90. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) Standards for Preparation

A. constitute the legal basis for certification and licensure requirements for professional counselors.
B. specify the minimum professional competencies (ie. skills) which a counselor is expected to possess.
C. have been adopted by more than 60% of the approximately 480 counselors preparation programs in the United States.
D. are a set of guidelines for the desirable elements of and experiences in counselor preparation programs.

Answer 6

D. are a set of guidelines for the desirable elements of and experiences in counselor preparation programs.

Question 7

A member of the local clergy telephones and asks for your evaluation of the moral values of a person whom the caller knows was one of your clients. The caller wants your opinion because the former client is an applicant to a theological institution for which the caller is the local applicant evaluator. You should

A. respond orally but require that no records be made of the conversation and that no comments be attributed to you.
B. inform the caller that under no circumstances are you ethically permitted to divulge whether a person is or has been a client or any information about a client without the clients permission.
C. inform the caller that you need to call the former client and obtain the clients permission before you can express your opinion.
D. seek the counsel of your supervisor to determine what types of information it would be permissible to divulge.

Answer 7

B. inform the caller that under no circumstances are you ethically permitted to divulge whether a person is or has been a client or any information about a client without the clients permission.

Question 8

You have been providing career counseling to a client who is seeking employment. Concurrent to the counseling, and with your knowledge, the client has made application for employment with several employers. A potential employer calls you and asks for your opinion as to your clients suitability for the employers job opening. Under which of the following conditions are you free (ie. not in violation of professional ethics) to provide the information requested?

A. when it is clear that the client will not get the job unless the information is given.
B. when you are certain that the information you would provide would assure that the client would get the job.
C. when in your best judgement you believe the information would enhance the clients chances for getting the job.
D. none of the above.

Answer 8

D. none of the above.

Question 9

As applied to professional licensure of counselors, the term reciprocity means that

A. one licensing agency agrees to accept the licensing standards of another as sufficient for its own.
B. a licensed counselor may legally perform the functions of a licensed psychologist.
C. certification is synonymous with licensure.
D. graduation from a fully accredited counselor education program automatically constitutes eligibility for licensure.

Answer 9

A. one licensing agency agrees to accept the licensing standards of another as sufficient for its own.

Question 10

The publication that is likely to average the largest number of current research articles on the counseling process is the

A. Journal of Counseling Psychology.
B. Review of Educational Research.
C. Journal of Counseling and Abnormal Psychology.
D. Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases.

Answer 10

A. Journal of Counseling Psychology.

Question 11

According to the NBCC Code of Ethics and the ACA Ethical Standards, when should a counselor try to persuade the client to report knowledge of a crime to the appropriate law enforcement authorities?

A. when there is imminent danger to others.
B. when there is a crime in progress.
C. after the crime.
D. never.

Answer 11

A. when there is imminent danger to others.

Question 12

Third party reimbursement is a term pertinent to

A. transactional analysis.
B. behavioral therapy.
C. insurance practices.
D. veterans educational programs.

Answer 12

C. insurance practices.

Question 13

Which group has been most instrumental in opposing counselor licensure?

a. Social workers.
b. Psychiatrists.
c. Psychologists.
d. AAMFTmembers.

Answer 13

c. Psychologists.

Question 14

In the late 1970s, AACD ( known as ACA since 1992) began to focus very heavily on professional credentialing. This led to the formation of the

a. CCMHC.
b. NBCC.
c. CACREP, formed in 1981.
d. APGA, formed in 1952.

Answer 14

b. NBCC.

Question 15

By passing the NCE, a counselor can attain _______, given via NBCC.

a. NCC, a generic certification for counselors.
b. NCC, a specialty mental health certification for counselors.
c. NCC, national certification for school counselors.
d. MAC, master addictions counselor.

Answer 15

a. NCC, a generic certification for counselors.

Question 16

Which choice would most likely violate the counseling ethic or law termed “scope of practice”?

a. A counselor who is using good accurate empathy with a client, but fails to confront her about her excessive drinking.
b. A licensed counselor who gives the client a DSM diagnostic code for insurance.
c. A counselor who is too active-directive with a client.
d. A counselor who is conducting a strict Freudian psychoanalysis with the client

Answer 16

d. A counselor who is conducting a strict Freudian psychoanalysis with the client

Question 17

Most ethical dilemmas are related to

a. confidentiality.
b. testing.
c. diagnosis.
d. research.

Answer 17

a. confidentiality.

Question 18

The landmark 1969 case, Tarasoff versus the Board of Regents of the University of California illuminated

a. difficulties involved in client/counselor sexual behavior.
b. ethical issues in relation to research.
c. the duty to warn a client in imminent danger.
d. the impact of an impaired professional.

Answer 18

c. the duty to warn a client in imminent danger.

Question 19

A counselor reveals information that is extremely damaging to a client’s reputation. This counselor could be accused of

a. beneficence.
b. justice.
c. nonmaleficence
d. defamation

Answer 19

d. defamation

Question 20

State laws can govern title usage and practice, however, they do not govern

a. accreditation.
b. counselor licensure.
c. psychologist licensure.
d. involuntary commitment to state psychiatric facilities.

Answer 20

a. accreditation

Question 21

An exception to confidentiality could occur when a client is suicidal. Suicidal warning signs include

a. repeatedly joking about killing one’s self.
b. giving away prized possessions after one has been depressed for an extended period of time.
c. a previous suicide attempt and a very detailed suicide plan for the future.
d. all of the above.

Answer 21

d. all of the above.

Question 22

A statement of disclosure could include all except

a. a list of the courses the counselor took in graduate school.
b. the counselor’s qualifications, office hours, and billing policies.
c. emergency procedures and therapy techniques utilized.
d. a statement that confidentiality is desirable, but cannot be guaranteed in a group setting.

Answer 22

a. a list of the courses the counselor took in graduate school.

Question 23

In regard to state law and privileged communication, counselors must be aware that

a. privileged communication exists in every state in the union for LPCs.
b. laws are unclear and may vary from state to state.
c. there are no laws which govern this issue.
d. state psychology laws are applicable in this respect.

Answer 23

b. laws are unclear and may vary from state to state.

Question 24

You are a counselor in a state that does not legally support privi- leged communication. You refuse to testify in court. In this situ- ation
a. ACA will back you for doing the ethical thing.
b. NBCC will back you if and only if you have attained NCC
status.
c. you need not testify if your case was supervised by a licensed psychologist and/or psychiatrist.
d. you could be held in contempt of court.

Answer 24

d. you could be held in contempt of court.

Question 25

During a counseling session a 42-year-old male client threatens
suicide. You should

a. keep it a secret as the client is not a minor.
b. call the state child abuse/neglect hotline even though he
is an adult.
c. call his wife and mention that a serious problem exists but
be very careful not to discuss the issue of suicide since to do so would violate the client’s confidentiality.
d. contact his wife and advise her of possible suicide precautions.

Answer 25

d. contact his wife and advise her of possible suicide precautions.

Question 26

A 39-year-old female secretary you are seeing in your assertiveness training group reveals that she is plotting to shoot her husband. Based on the Tarasoff case you should

a. warn the husband.
b. keep it confidential because an assertiveness training
group is decidedly not the same as one-to-one counseling.
c. make a police report in the city in which the husband resides.
d. tell a supervisor, administrator, or board member if one
exists, but do not contact her husband.

Answer 26

a. warn the husband.

Question 27

You pass your exam and now have NCC status. During a staff meeting a clinical director explains to you that, from an ethical standpoint, your primary duty is to the agency. Most experts in the field of counselor education would

a. agree with this position with very few reservations.
b. disagree inasmuch as professional ethics emphasize that your primary responsibility is to your clients.
c. disagree inasmuch as professional ethics emphasize that your primary responsibility is to the ACA.
d. say that, according to “aspirational ethics,” your agency
comes first.

Answer 27

b. disagree inasmuch as professional ethics emphasize that your primary responsibility is to your clients.

Question 28

One impetus for counselor licensing was that

a. ACSW wanted to restrict counselors.
b. politicians demanded that counselors be licensed.
c. psychology licensure bodies sought to restrict the practice of counselors so counselors could not receive third party payments from insurance and managed care companies.
d. insurance companies pushed strongly for it.

Answer 28

c. psychology licensure bodies sought to restrict the practice of counselors so counselors could not receive third party payments from insurance and managed care companies.

Question 29

A counselor who possesses a graduate degree wishes to become a licensed psychologist. Which statement most accurately depicts the current situation?

a. Any counselor can easily become a psychologist if he or she can pass the EPPP.
b. A counselor can become a licensed psychologist by taking three graduate credit hours in physiological psychology and then passing the EPPP.
c. In nearly every case individuals trained in counseling departments would not be allowed to sit for the EPPP and thus could not become licensed psychologists.
d. A counselor with a doctorate in counseling could be licensed as a counseling psychologist if he or she has a degree from a recognized department of counseling.

Answer 29

c. In nearly every case individuals trained in counseling departments would not be allowed to sit for the EPPP and thus could not become licensed psychologists.

Question 30

A woman who is in private practice mentions in her phone book advertisement that she is a licensed counseling psychologist. This generally means that

a. she has a doctorate from a counselor education program.
b. she has a graduate degree from a psychology department.
c. she has a degree from a CACREP program.
d. she has a degree in counseling but is trained in projective testing.

Answer 30

b. she has a graduate degree from a psychology department.

Question 31

One major difference between the psychology versus the coun- seling movement seems to be that

a. the psychologists are working to eliminate practitioners with less than a doctorate, while the counselors are not.
b. counselors are working to give up tests for licensure.
c. psychology boards are made up primarily of psychiatrists.
d. in most states psychologists do not need to take an exam.

Answer 31

a. the psychologists are working to eliminate practitioners with less than a doctorate, while the counselors are not.

Question 32

A counselor who is alcoholic and suffering from burnout could best be described as
a. a mesomorph.
b. an impaired professional.
c. aparaprofessional.
d. a counselor who is wise enough to use his own experiences to help others.

Answer 32

b. an impaired professional.

Question 33

Counselor certification

a. is synonymous with licensure.
b. is synonymous with program certification.
c. recognizes that you have reached a given level of competence and thus are authorized to use a title.
d. is primarily a legal process.

Answer 33

c. recognizes that you have reached a given level of competence and thus are authorized to use a title.

Question 34

A woman comes to you for help with an eating disorder. You
have no experience or training in this area. Ethically you should

a. refer this client to a colleague who is indeed trained and experienced with this type of client.
b. keep the client and work on her general lack of self-esteem.
c. tell the client you will do a comprehensive Internet search on the topic and then begin seeing her.
d. explain to the client that a symptom such as eating or not eating is not the real problem and that counseling focuses on real underlying issues.

Answer 34

a. refer this client to a colleague who is indeed trained and experienced with this type of client.

Question 35

The problem with income sensitive or sliding fee scales (based on the client’s ability to pay) is that

a. scales of this kind are unethical.
b. scales of this nature are illegal.
c. it is difficult to administer them in a fair manner.
d. scales like this are used frequently; however, they are unethical and illegal.

Answer 35

c. it is difficult to administer them in a fair manner.

Question 36

You are a licensed professional counselor in one state but will soon relocate to another state. The new state informs you that they will grant you reciprocity or so-called endorsement. You will thus

a. simply need to take the licensing test in the new state.
b. be permitted to practice in the new state based on your current credentials without taking another exam.
c. need to take numerous graduate courses.
d. not be allowed to practice until you serve an internship.

Answer 36

b. be permitted to practice in the new state based on your current credentials without taking another exam.

Question 37

According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
(FERPA) of 1974 (also known as the Buckley Amendment)

a. a parent can see his or her daughter’s middle school re- cord.
b. an 18-year-old college student can view his or her own educational record.
c. a and b.
d. a and b are both illegal.

Answer 37

c. a and b.

Question 38

Section B of NBCC’s Code of Ethics deals with the counseling relationship. Thus a counselor who uses a paradoxical strategy

a. has committed a blatant ethics violation.
b. does not need to explain the purpose of the paradox to the
client.
c. should explain the purpose of this technique to the client.
d. must tape record the interview.

Answer 38

c. should explain the purpose of this technique to the client.

Question 39

You are a middle school counselor at a public school. A child is threatening to kill another student and admonishes you to keep it a secret. According to the ethical principle of minimal disclo- sure the best course of action would be to

a. try to talk the client out of his plan of action but do not violate his confidentiality by telling anyone else.
b. call the major radio and television stations as research clearly indicates that publicity can stop school tragedies.
c. call the police and give them a complete blow by blow description of the counseling session.
d. inform the parents of the student in danger, inform the principal, and call the police immediately, discussing only material related to the threat.

Answer 39

d. inform the parents of the student in danger, inform the principal, and call the police immediately, discussing only material related to the threat.

Question 40

You have just made a landmark discovery which you feel could literally change the entire field of counseling and thus you write an article which depicts your findings. The next step would be to

a. submit the article to no more than two journals simultaneously.
b. submit the article to every major APA and ACA journal published.
c. submit the article to one publication at a time despite your conviction that the article must get published.
d. write NBCC and request permission for multiple submis- sion privileges.

Answer 40

c. submit the article to one publication at a time despite your conviction that the article must get published.

Question 41

Section F of NBCC’s Code of Ethics is concerned with ethics related to consulting. Consulting or consultation can best be defined as

a. a brand or paradigm of brief psychotherapy.
b. a brand or paradigm of long-term psychotherapy.
c. a systematic process based on classical conditioning.
d. a voluntary relationship between a professional helper and a help-needing individual, group, or social unit in which the consultant helps define or solve problems related to clients, the client system, or work-related issues.

Answer 41

d. a voluntary relationship between a professional helper and a help-needing individual, group, or social unit in which the consultant helps define or solve problems related to clients, the client system, or work-related issues.

Question 42

Section G of NBCC’s Code of Ethics describes ethical issues related to private practice. Which of these situations is clearly an ethics violation?

a. A private practitioner who advertises in the Yellow Pages.
b. A private practitioner who advertises in a daily newspaper.
c. A counselor who terminates a professional relationship with a client because she feels it is no longer productive for her client.
d. An executive director of a private practice who has his name listed in a Yellow Pages advertisement as a counseling provider despite the fact that he is out of the country and is engaged in a research project for the next two years.

Answer 42

d. An executive director of a private practice who has his name listed in a Yellow Pages advertisement as a counseling provider despite the fact that he is out of the country and is engaged in a research project for the next two years.

Question 43

Nosology refers to a system of classification. Name the nosologi- cal system(s) utilized by professional counselors who diagnose clients.
a. DSM.
b. ICD.
c. a and b.
d. The Rogerian classification system.

Answer 43

c. a and b

Question 44

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) was created by the American Psychiatric Association. The Manual of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Injuries, and Causes of Death (ICD) was created by the World Health Organization (WHO). Which counselor would most likely be required to utilize one of these guides to diagnose a client?

a. A counselor who wishes to secure insurance (i.e., third party) payments.
b. A guidance counselor discussing a child with a teacher.
c. A multicultural counselor who is seeing a Black client.
d. counselor leading a T-group.

Answer 44

a. A counselor who wishes to secure insurance (i.e., third party) payments.

Question 45

Traditionally, _______ counseling has caused the most ethical concerns.

a. behavioral.
b. person-centered.
c. humanistic.
d. reality therapy.

Answer 45

a. behavioral.

Question 46

The DSM uses a multiaxial classification system with five axes.
Diagnostic codes have _______ digits.
a. five.
b. four.
c. nine (which correspond to the DOT). d. 12.

Answer 46

a. five.

Question 47

Identify the DSM code.
a. 29622.
b. 29.622.
c. 303.90.
d. 2962.2.

Answer 47

c. 303.90.

Question 48

As you are reading the DSM you see this code: 296.2X. In this case the X (i.e., the fifth digit) refers to

a. severity, and thus it will be replaced with a diagnostic number.
b. an adjustment disorder.
c. developmentaldisorder.
d. physical disorders and conditions.

Answer 48

a. severity, and thus it will be replaced with a diagnostic number.

Question 49

In the DSM the so-called V Codes refer to conditions which are not attributable to a mental condition. An example of a V Code would be

a. 6282.V.
b. 62V.82.
c. 628V2.
d. V62.82.

Answer 49

d. V62.82.

Question 50

An example of a V Code diagnosis would be

a. Major Depression Single Episode Mild.
b. Borderline Personality.
c. Uncomplicated Bereavement.
d. CocaineDependence.

Answer 50

b. Borderline Personality.

Question 51

Formal diagnosis, also known as nosology, is most closely related to the _______ model.

a. behavioral.
b. medical.
c. cognitive-behavioral.
d. rational-emotivebehaviortherapy.

Answer 51

b. medical.

Question 52

The type of mental health service provided to the client is coded
via _______ and is generally required for insurance payments.

a. DSM (e.g., 296.22).
b. the ICD (e.g., 311).
c. the AMA’s Current Procedural Terminology (e.g., CPT 90844).
d. the Psychiatric Dictionary.

Answer 52

c. the AMA’s Current Procedural Terminology (e.g., CPT 90844).

Question 53

You refer a client to Dr. Smith. Ethically, Dr. Smith
a. may not pay you a referral fee for sending her the client.
b. may pay you a referral fee if you have a written contract
with her.
c. may pay you a referral fee if she has expertise in the client’s area of concern and you don’t.
d. can pay you a referral fee if and only if she is a psychiatrist.

Answer 53

a. may not pay you a referral fee for sending her the client.

Question 54

An elementary school counselor is giving a child a standardized test. On several occasions the child says he does not understand what the counselor has said. The counselor should

a. refuse to repeat the question.
b. tell the child to answer the question nevertheless.
c. repeat the question, but talk more slowly.
d. ignore the child’s verbalizations.

Answer 54

c. repeat the question, but talk more slowly.

Question 55

The doctor–patient consultation model relies on four distinct stages: entry, diagnosis, implementation, and evaluation. In order for the doctor–-patient structure to work, the consultee (i.e., the person receiving the consultation) must accurately depict symptomatology, trust the consultant’s diagnosis, and carry out the consultant’s directives. This model is associated most closely with the work of

a. Caplan.
b. Freud.
c. Adler.
d. Schein.

Answer 55

d. Schein.

Question 56

Ethical dilemmas rarely have clear-cut answers. Thus when a complex ethical situation manifests itself, it is best to

a. consult only ethical codes and not colleagues.
b. consult with colleagues as well as ethical codes inasmuch as legal standards are very often based on the methods of fellow professionals in analogous situations.
c. consult ACA but not your colleagues.
d. consult your state licensing bureau but not your colleagues.

Answer 56

b. consult with colleagues as well as ethical codes inasmuch as legal standards are very often based on the methods of fellow professionals in analogous situations.

Question 57

You have attempted to help a client for over two years with little or no success. You should
a. always refer the client to a board certified psychiatrist.
b. terminate the relationship and initiate an appropriate referral.
c. change therapeutic modalities and see the client for another six months.
d. change therapeutic modalities and see the client for at least another year.

Answer 57

b. terminate the relationship and initiate an appropriate referral.

Question 58

Historically speaking, the first psychology laboratory was set up by

a. Frank Parsons, who set up community centers to help individuals in search of work.
b. Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis.
c. Wilhelm Wundt, in 1879 in Leipzig, Germany.
d. E. G. Williamson.

Answer 58

c. Wilhelm Wundt, in 1879 in Leipzig, Germany.

Question 59

PL94-142 (The Education Act for All Handicapped Children) states that

a. all children between 5 and 21 are assured free education.
b. handicapped persons are placed in the least restrictive environment (LRE).
c. an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is developed for each child
d. all of the above.

Answer 59

d. all of the above.

Question 60

The 1950s was the age of tremendous strides in

a. analysis.
b. developmental psychology.
c. behavior modification.
d. groupwork.

Answer 60

b. developmental psychology.

Question 61

The _______ movement began in the late 1960s.
a. testing.
b. Rogerian.
c. group.
d. developmental psychology.

Answer 61

c. group.

Question 62

One of the primary problems of counseling in the early 1960s was that it wrongly emphasized

a. social issues.
b. intrapsychic processes.
c. referrals to secure antidepressant medicine.
d. career counseling.

Answer 62

b. intrapsychic processes.

Question 63

The significance of the 1958 National Defense Education Act was that it
a. provided financial aid for graduate education in counseling.
b. expanded school guidance services.
c. improved guidance for gifted children.
d. all of the above.

Answer 63

d. all of the above.