Chapter 9—Focusing the Counseling Session: Exploring the Story From Multiple Perspectives

Counseling is teaching clients how to live or what to believe.

FALSE

The main focus of individual counseling is conflict, incongruity, and discrepancies between the individual and family and friends.

FALSE

A key task of counseling is to help the client restory past experience and develop new memories and connections.

TRUE

Debriefing the community genogram is your chance to learn about the developmental history and cultural background of your client.

TRUE

Which one of the following examples is NOT an example of a counselor acting for social justice or as an advocate? a. A career counselor helps a 40-year-old business manager face a career change. b. A high-school counselor initiates school policies and awareness programs against oppression in the classroom. c. An elementary school counselor works with a child who is being bullied on the playground. d. A social worker helps an abused wife and her children obtain shelter.

a. A career counselor helps a 40-year-old business manager face a career change.

"Sounds like you are punishing yourself when you are trying so hard to be responsible." By using this response, how is the interviewer trying to focus the client? a. Client focus b. Theme or issue focus c. Significant others d. Mutuality, immediacy, interviewer

a. Client focus

Which one of the following statements is NOT true of cultural / environmental focus? a. Environmental context is not a legitimate focus area. b. Environmental context is person-as-community. c. Environmental context is the impact of how the client grew up in community. d. Environmental context includes cultural, gender, and race impacts on client development.

a. Environmental context is not a legitimate focus area.

There are many ways to focus attention in the counseling session. What are other focus possibilities besides individual client focus, problem focus, and interviewer focus? a. Other, family, mutuality, and environmental context b. Other, significant relationships, community, and culture c. Culture, family, environment, and context d. Mutuality, family culture, community and context

a. Other, family, mutuality, and environmental context

Client: I just found that I'm pregnant. I don't know who it was, but I have an idea who it is most likely to be. But, no one is likely to help. My family doesn't know yet and they really deserted me last time I got in trouble. I've only talked to them a few times and we are starting to get along again, but now ... I wonder what's going to happen. I just feel lost. 25. Counselor response: "You must feel lost." This is an encourager with a ____. a. focus on the client b. focus on the main theme or problem c. focus on others d. focus on family

a. focus on the client

A number of regions of the ________ are activated attentional task preparation and execution. a. prefrontal cortex b. right intuitive brain c. limbic system d. limbic system and the right intuitive brain

a. prefrontal cortex

When beginning a new interview / counseling relationship, the focus is usually on: a. the individual. b. the family. c. the group. d. the cultural / environmental context.

a. the individual.

According to Ivey, consciousness represents the psychological present. What is the typical length of the psychological present? a. 10 to 75 milliseconds b. 100 to 750 milliseconds c. 1 to 3 seconds d. None of the above

b. 100 to 750 milliseconds

The idea of person-in-community was developed by ______ (1994), who pointed out that our family and community history and experiences live within each of us. a. Onwuegbuzie b. Ogbonnaya c. Oberne d. Octavio

b. Ogbonnaya

The family genogram is ____. a. only for family counseling b. a good way to help a client focus on family issues c. a technique for advanced therapy d. all of the above

b. a good way to help a client focus on family issues

A counselor is most likely looking for ________ and ________ when he or she suggests to the client that creating a community genogram may be helpful. a. "free-form" client activity; client creativity b. client developmental history; to identify client strength c. detail client strengths; detail client issues d. community of origin; present community

b. client developmental history; to identify client strength

The word problem: a. is useful to label clients issues. b. is in itself a problem. c. offers immediate insight. d. identifies in itself solutions.

b. is in itself a problem.

Working memory can hold _____ items. a. 5±2 b. 6±2 c. 7±2 d. 8±2

c. 7±2

In which scenario will talking with clients about their issues NOT be enough, and the interviewer may need to consider advocacy or an approach to resolve a social justice issue? a. As an elementary school counselor, you are helping a student who feels overwhelmed with her homework assignments. b. As a personal counselor, you are working with a woman facing divorce. c. As a personnel officer, you discover systematic bias against promotion for women and minorities. d. As a high-school guidance counselor, you are helping graduating Seniors prepare their paperwork for college.

c. As a personnel officer, you discover systematic bias against promotion for women and minorities.

"We will work this out together." What is the focus of the statement? a. Focus on the client b. Focus on the main theme or problem c. Focus on mutuality d. Focus on the interviewer

c. Focus on mutuality

"As I hear you, Jackson is the likely father; but on the other hand, you really aren't sure? Have I got that right?" What is the focus of this statement? a. Focus on the client b. Focus on the main theme or problem c. Focus on others d. Focus on family

c. Focus on others

What is the focus of the following statement? "You think you know who the father is?" a. Focus on the client b. Focus on the main theme or problem c. Focus on others d. Focus on mutuality

c. Focus on others

In working with some Asian and Southern European peoples, which focus is often more appropriate than typical middle-class U.S. focusing? a. The individual b. The cultural / environmental context c. Mutual focus emphasizing "we" d. Mutual focus emphasizing different cultures

c. Mutual focus emphasizing "we"

Which one of the following statements is NOT true of mutuality focus? a. Mutuality can be controversial and should be used infrequently. b. Mutuality can be powerful as it uses the interviewer as an instrument. c. Mutuality is not a legitimate focus area. d. Mutuality focus puts the client and interviewer on an equal level.

c. Mutuality is not a legitimate focus area.

"How are your friends helpful to you?" By using this question, how is the interviewer trying to focus the client? a. Client focus b. Theme or issue focus c. Significant others d. Cultural context / environmental

c. Significant others

"So you learned in your family that trying harder helped work things out?" By using this question, how is the interviewer trying to focus the client? a. Client b. Theme or issue focus c. Significant others d. Mutuality, immediacy, interviewer

c. Significant others

The community genogram is used to help clients understand how their ________ might affect their current feelings and thoughts. a. behavior b. hobbies c. history d. careers

c. history

The idea of _____________ suggests that our family and community history and experiences live within each of us. a. citizen of the county b. member-of-society c. person-in-community d. being-in-relationship

c. person-in-community

Clients tend to talk about or focus on topics to which the counselor or interviewer gives primary attention. This is known as ____. a. interviewer focus b. topical priorities c. selective attention d. session structuring

c. selective attention

The focusing skill is closely related to ____. a. hippocampus b. energizing amygdala c. selective attention d. non-verbal behavior

c. selective attention

The family genogram is particularly helpful for us in understanding: a. the client. b. the family. c. the client's family contextual issues. d. the cultural/environmental/contextual issues.

c. the client's family contextual issues.

What type of client is MOST likely to benefit from a community genogram? a. Clients from nuclear families b. Clients who can trace their family over time c. Adopted clients d. All of the above

d. All of the above

What type of client is likely to benefit from a family genogram? a. Adopted clients b. First generation Americans c. Clients from nuclear families d. All of the above

d. All of the above

Which of the following can be used to identify personal and multicultural strengths? a. Post the community genogram on the wall. b. Focus on one single dimension of the community. c. Develop two positive stories from groups within the community. d. All of the above.

d. All of the above.

Which of the following is a reason to focus client conversation? a. The client gives you three full minutes of problematic stories. b. The client insists that you start solving issues immediately. c. You and the client are overwhelmed by the number of client issues. d. All of the above.

d. All of the above.

"What are some of the strengths that you gain from your spiritual orientation?" By using this question, how is the interviewer trying to focus the client? a. Client focus b. Problem or issue focus c. Significant others d. Cultural context / environmental

d. Cultural context / environmental

"What do you see in your genogram that reminds you of good times?" By using this question, how is the interviewer trying to focus the client? a. Client focus b. Problem or issue focus c. Significant others d. Cultural context / environmental

d. Cultural context / environmental

"Financially, things were tight last time. How will it be this time?" ____ is the primary focus of this paraphrase and open question. a. The client b. The main theme or problem c. Mutuality d. Focus on cultural / environmental / contextual issues

d. Focus on cultural / environmental / contextual issues

What is the focus of the following counselor's statement? "Women often take all the responsibility and have to stand alone and work it out." a. Focus on the client b. Focus on the main theme or problem c. Focus on mutuality d. Focus on cultural / environmental / contextual issues

d. Focus on cultural / environmental / contextual issues

What is the focus of the following interviewer's statement? "What help have you found in your community church?" a. Focus on the client b. Focus on the main theme or problem c. Focus on mutuality d. Focus on cultural / environmental / contextual issues

d. Focus on cultural / environmental / contextual issues

"What's occurring between you and your mother and father right now?" Where is the focus of this open question? a. Focus on the client b. Focus on the main theme or problem c. Focus on others d. Focus on family

d. Focus on family

"I simply didn't know what to do when my mother had the same illness. Is that how you feel?" With this response, how is the interviewer trying to focus the client? a. Client focus b. Theme or issue focus c. Significant others d. Mutuality, immediacy, counselor

d. Mutuality, immediacy, counselor

"Vanessa, we've been working together for two weeks. Today I'm glad you can openly express your feelings to me." With this response, how is the interviewer trying to focus the client? a. Client focus b. Theme or issue focus c. Significant others d. Mutuality, immediacy, counselor

d. Mutuality, immediacy, counselor

What was the core emphasis of the second interview with Nelida? a. Nelida as an individual. b. Nelida's individual responsibilities. c. Nelida's individual achievements. d. Nelida as a being-in-relation.

d. Nelida as a being-in-relation.

Advocacy is ____. a. speaking out for your clients b. working in the school or community c. working for social change d. all of the above

d. all of the above

Focusing often results in ____. a. increased cognitive complexity b. broadening understanding through looking at different points of view c. increased ability to direct client talk (or not direct due to your awareness) d. all of the above

d. all of the above

Focusing the interview enables ____. a. increased ability to intentionally direct (or not direct) client talk b. increased cognitive complexity c. broadened understanding through exploring different perspectives d. all of the above

d. all of the above

Feminist counseling is more likely than traditional counseling to focus on ____. a. the individual b. the family c. others and their sexism or racism d. mutuality

d. mutuality

Multiculturally-oriented counseling is more likely than traditional counseling to focus on ____. a. the individual b. the family c. others and their sexism or racism d. the cultural / environmental context

d. the cultural / environmental context

The community genogram is particularly helpful for us in understanding: a. the client. b. the family. c. the client's family contextual issues. d. the cultural/environmental/contextual issues.

d. the cultural/environmental/contextual issues.