Therapy Theories

Question 1

reinforcement

Answer 1

increasing behavior

Question 2

punishment

Answer 2

decreasing behavior

Question 3

positive reinforcement

Answer 3

a behavior is followed by the addition of a stiumulis that is rewarding- a child gets a sticker for doing something good

Question 4

negative reinforcement

Answer 4

a behavior is followed by removal of an undesirable stimulus- teacher cancels classrooms homework assignemnt after they worked hard that day- increasing the likelihood they will work hard in the future

Question 5

positive punishment

Answer 5

an undesired behavior is followed by an undesirable stiumulus- being spanked after doing something wrong

Question 6

negative punishment

Answer 6

a behavior is folllowed by removal of a stiumulus- taking away teen’s phone after they stayed out past cuurfew

Question 7

token economy/contingency management

Answer 7

exchange system using the principles of operant conditioning- where a token is given as a reward for a desired behavior- tokens may later be exchanged for a desired prize or reward such as power, goods, services

Question 8

shaping

Answer 8

a form of operant conditioning in which the increasingly accurate approximations of a desired response are reinforced

Question 9

Cognitive Restructuring

Answer 9

teach the client to identify irrational, maladaptive or distorted beliefs, question evidence for the belief, and generate alternative thoughts.

Question 10

RATIONAL EMOTIONAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY

Answer 10

short term, present focused, helps clients identify and replace self defeating rigid thought patterns, beliefs, unhealthy behaviors that interfere with their life goals with healthier thoughts and behaviors that help them achieve their goals

Question 11

STRATEGIC FAMILY THERAPY

Answer 11

positioning- taking a strong position to get them to rebel
restraining- tell them they can’t change too fast- and that make sthem watn to change
paradoxical directives: maneuvers thata re in apparent contradiction to the goals of therapy, yet are actually designe dto achieve them

Question 12

Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

Answer 12

TF-CBT is an evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents used to treat the effects of
trauma.
● TF-CBT involves the child’s parents/caregivers, with individual sessions for both the child
and the parents, as well as joint parent-child sessions.
● It helps reduce emotional and behavioral trauma symptoms and is a relatively short term
treatment (generally 8-25 sessions).
● TF-CBT includes three stages:
Stabilization: Stabilization skills are needed to help the child and parent tolerate the
trauma processing that will occur in stage two. This stage includes psychoeducation,
relaxation skills, and parenting skills.
2. Trauma narrative: The trauma narrative allows the child to tell the story of their
trauma. Over the course of several sessions, the child gives increasing details of
what happened during the traumatic event. It often begins with factual details and
then moves into their thoughts and feelings from this time as well. This intervention
helps make sense of their experience and serves as a form of exposure therapy to
the painful memories; over time as the child repeats their narrative, the emotional
and physiological reactivity progressively decreases.
3. Integration and consolidation: This is the final phase of TF-CBT and occurs after the
creation and processing of the trauma narrative. It focuses on enhancing personal
safety and future growth.

Question 13

Structural Family Therapy

Answer 13

Change occurs through remodeling the family’s organization (structure).
● Joining is the first task of a structural family therapist. It involves blending in with the
family and adapting to the family’s affect, style, and language.
● Many family problems arise as a result of maladaptive boundaries and subsystems
within the family system. The therapist helps the family understand how the family
structure (relationships, alliances, and hierarchies) can be changed, the impact of rituals
and rules, and how new patterns of interaction can be integrated into the family.
● Enmeshed Boundaries: Family members are overly dependent and too closely involved

Question 14

Bowen Family Systems Theory

Answer 14

Change occurs through understanding multigenerational dynamics.
● Individuals cannot be understood in isolation from one another, but rather as a part of
their family.
● Family members are driven to achieve a balance of internal and external differentiation
which causes anxiety, triangulation, and emotional cutoff.
● Change can occur through better understanding of multigenerational or current family
dynamics and patterns.
● Genograms: a diagram that is created in session and includes family/relational patterns
and dynamics between different family members, as well as any physical, mental health,
or substance abuse issues. It displays detailed data on relationships among individuals
and goes beyond a traditional family tree, allowing the therapist and family to look at
patterns and psychological factors that impact relationships.

Question 15

Solution Focused Therapy

Answer 15

Brief, goal-directed therapy focused on a client’s strengths and resources.
● Focuses on what the client wants to achieve instead of focusing on the problem(s).
● Focuses on the client’s strengths and resources to create a more effective future.
● Uses the ‘Miracle Question’: The therapist asks the client to envision how the future will
be when the problem no longer exists and what their life looks like then.
○ Example: “Imagine that tomorrow morning you wake up and a miracle has
happened. What would be different in your life that will tell you a miracle has
happened and that your problem has been solved?”
● Beginning: Join with the client; Envision preferred future; Begin to identify the client’s
strengths; Use solution-oriented language; Come up with achievable goals.
● Middle: Continue identifying strengths, resources and traits the client has already used to
deal with problems in the past; Utilize solution-talk; Identify exceptions to problems;
Utilize scaling questions to reflect on the nature of change the client has experienced;
Feedback to the client that includes highlighting small changes and assigning tasks;
Cheerleading change along the way.
● End: Assist the client in identifying things they can do to continue the changes they have
made; Identify hurdles or perceived barriers that could get in the way of maintaining the
changes they made.

Question 16

Task Centered/Problem Solving Therapy

Answer 16

A short-term therapy that elicits change through supporting clients to take actions that address
the problems in their lives.
● Focus of help is on client-defined problems and goals.
● The client’s problems, goals, and the nature and duration of service are explicitly stated
and agreed upon by both the social worker and the client.
● Analysis of a problem leads to consideration of the kinds of actions needed to solve it,
what might facilitate those actions, and obstacles standing in the way of
implementation.
● Change is affected primarily through problem-solving actions or tasks the client and the
social worker undertake outside of therapy. The social worker helps the client select
tasks.
● The social worker facilitates task work through assisting the client in planning task
implementation and establishing the motivation for carrying out the plan.
● The social worker helps the client rehearse and practice the task and analyze obstacles
to its achievement.
● Reviews of the client’s accomplishments on each task allows the social worker to
provide corrective feedback on the client’s actions and serve as the basis for developing
new tasks.
● An effective intervention for clients with schizophrenia and for clients encountering
challenges such as homelessness.