Question 1

Solution-focused therapy has been identified as a therapeutic approach that may be particularly successful with male clients due to the fact that it does not require expression of vulnerable emotions to be effective. This component of masculinity is known as:

Accepted Answer

A)  control 
B)  stoicism 
C)  self-reliance 
D)  action-orientation

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT considered to be a benefit of solution-focused therapy when working with Muslim American clients?

Accepted Answer

A)  Solution-focused practice places less emphasis on the client's inner world 
B)  Muslim Americans may prefer the strength-based approach of solution-based therapies 
C)  Solution-focused therapists typically define the focus of treatment using theoretical assumptions 
D)  Muslim Americans are attracted to the brief and focused nature of solution-based therapy

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of how a solution-oriented therapist uses reflection to delimit?

Accepted Answer

A)  "You were feeling down." 
B)  "Your partner always does things that annoy you." 
C)  "There is not anyone you are interested in right now." 
D)  "You did not feel understood by your mom yesterday."

Question 4

Sara is a solution-oriented therapist working with Bill and Gina (parents) and their two children, Jake (15) and Madison (9). The parents say Jake is increasingly hostile and won't listen to them. They feel like their family is falling apart. Jake refuses to participate in therapy. He says his parents are the ones with the problem and he doesn't think anything is wrong. Bill and Gina want Sara to have some individual sessions with Jake, saying they can't make a difference and that she needs to "fix him." What category describes Bill and Gina's motivation for change?

Accepted Answer

A)  Customers 
B)  Visionaries 
C)  Complainants 
D)  Visitors

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of a presuppositional question?

Accepted Answer

A)  What are you going to do to resolve this issue? 
B)  What do you do to contribute to the problem? 
C)  What will you be doing differently once we resolve these issues? 
D)  What will your life look like when you change problem?

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT included in the basic tenets of solution-focused intervention according to de Shazer?

Accepted Answer

A)  If it works, do more of it 
B)  Small steps can lead to big changes 
C)  The solution is usually related to the problem 
D)  No problem happens all of the time; there are always exceptions

Question 7

When successfully delivered, what does the miracle question allow clients?

Accepted Answer

A)  To see how their life could have been if there really were miracles 
B)  To envision the future without the problem 
C)  To generate resolutions for their problem 
D)  All of these are correct

Question 8

When working with survivors of sexual abuse and/or trauma, solution-based therapists honor the agency of the survivors. What does this mean?

Accepted Answer

A)  Solution-based therapists insist the survivor share the details of their abuse 
B)  Solution-based therapists take a more directive role in working with the survivor 
C)  Solution-based therapists allow the client to decide whether or when to tell their abuse story 
D)  Solution-based therapists determine the pacing of the therapy

Question 9

In the solution-based approach, how does the therapist address the pathologizing interpersonal pattern (PIP) to resolve issues among families?

Accepted Answer

A)  The therapist tends to assess PIPs when assessing for strengths and resources in facilitating WIPs 
B)  Therapists would conceptualize not just the PIPs the couple presents as a problem, but also the PIPs in each family of origin 
C)  They will have only minimal conversations about PIPs and will carefully assess it only if it seems necessary for a particular client 
D)  None of these is correct

Question 10

Which of the following statements most accurately reflects solution-focused therapies' empirical support as an evidenced-based practice?

Accepted Answer

A)  Solution-based therapies have a steadily growing foundation of empirical support. 
B)  Solution-based therapies cannot be measured because there are no predetermined goals. 
C)  Solution-based therapies focus on the solutions, which makes it difficult for clients to remember their problems. 
D)  Solution-based therapies have a steadily decreasing foundation of empirical support.

Question 11

Solution-based therapists believe __________ cannot be avoided in therapy; however, they are not considered curative.

Accepted Answer

A)  solutions 
B)  strengths 
C)  emotions 
D)  problems

Question 12

At a time when most therapies focused on the past, Milton Erickson (an inspiration in solution-oriented therapy) directed his clients to focus on which time periods, often envisioning times without the problem?

Accepted Answer

A)  Past and present 
B)  Present and future 
C)  Past and future 
D)  None of these is correct

Question 13

As the name suggests, solution-based therapists spend a minimal amount of time talking about __________ and instead focus on moving the client toward enacting solutions.

Accepted Answer

A)  family 
B)  problems 
C)  sadness 
D)  dreams

Question 14

A couple attends therapy with Julia, a solution-oriented therapist. The couple reports a very difficult relationship. They are always arguing, disagreeing, and separating. After a very intense first session, Julia says to the couple, "Between now and the next time we meet, I would like you to observe so you can describe to me what happens in your relationship that you do not want to have changed by therapy." What kind of intervention is Julia using?

Accepted Answer

A)  The miracle question 
B)  A formula first session task 
C)  Scaling questions 
D)  Compliments and encouragement

Question 15

Steve de Shazer assessed client motivation for change using which three categories?

Accepted Answer

A)  Visitors, rejecters, and customers 
B)  Travelers, complainants, and customers 
C)  Visitors, complainants, and regulars 
D)  Visitors, complainants, and customers

Question 16

Ericksonian therapists identify client strengths that are in the same class of solutions that relate to the presenting problem. This means the therapist is:

Accepted Answer

A)  carefully listening for other situations where the client is able to follow directions. 
B)  carefully listening for other situations where the client is hopeful. 
C)  carefully listening for other situations where the client has a sense of success. 
D)  any of these, depending on the client's presenting problem.

Question 17

According to solution-based therapists, strengths include the resources in a person's life. Which of the following would NOT be considered a strength?

Accepted Answer

A)  Family support 
B)  Positive relationships 
C)  Religious faith 
D)  Pathology

Question 18

In solution-based therapy, __________ is cultivated early in therapy to develop motivation and momentum.

Accepted Answer

A)  happiness 
B)  helpfulness 
C)  hope 
D)  hallucinations

Question 19

Solution-focused therapists often reflect global statements back to clients as partial statements, such as "Your partner sometimes does things that annoy you." This is a strategy known as:

Accepted Answer

A)  channeling language. 
B)  echoing your client's key words. 
C)  the beginner's mind. 
D)  assumption of solution and possibilities.

Question 20

Which technique can best be used when asking a client to define their goals and rate their progress toward goals?

Accepted Answer

A)  The miracle question 
B)  Scaling questions 
C)  Coping questions 
D)  Pre-suppositional questions

Exam 9: Solution-Based Therapies