Here's a free practice question to help get you ready to pass the ASWB exam.
A couple has been meeting with a social worker for three weeks. They report wanting to work on their marriage. Despite the social worker's attempts to set rules, they argue constantly over small details. The social worker responds by saying, "You two are really good are arguing. Can you continue arguing for the next five minutes? I'll set a timer." The social worker's response is an example of:
A. A paradoxical intervention.
B. Solution focused therapy.
C. Functional family therapy.
D. Unethical behavior.
What's your answer?
Let's go from the bottom up.
Unethical behavior? Nah. If you thought the social worker is being sarcastic, you might be tempted by this answer. But sarcasm isn't unethical.
Functional family therapy. First of all, if you've never heard of it, it's probably not the right answer on the social work licensing exam. Here's what functional family therapy is, according to fftllcom:
[A] short-term treatment strategy that is built on a foundation of respect of individuals, families and cultures, but that includes powerful treatment strategies that pave the way for motivating individuals and families to become more adaptive and successful in their own lives.
TL; DR? It's not the correct answer here.
Solution focused therapy you probably have heard of. Here's the approach nutshelled via solutionfocused.net
SFBT is future-focused, goal-directed, and focuses on solutions, rather than on the problems that brought clients to seek therapy.
Also not what's going on in this quick vignette.
Which leaves us with one answer. Let's hope it's a good one.
A paradoxical intervention. What's that? It's when a therapist prescribes the behavior that is the target of the intervention. "Smoke more." "Sleep less." Or, in this case, "fight for the next five minutes."
Asked. Answered. And now you're that much more ready to go pass the exam.
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