Therapist Development Center Practice Exam 1

What action should a social worker take when a client's mother requests couples therapy while the client is in individual therapy?

1. See all family members together for family therapy.

2. Continue to see the adolescent and also provide couples therapy for the parents.

3. Refer the boy to another therapist.

4. Give the mother a list of therapists who can treat her and her husband.

The correct answer is: Give the mother a list of therapists who can treat her and her husband.

In this scenario, the correct approach is to provide the mother with a list of therapists who specialize in couples therapy. This response ensures that the social worker maintains appropriate boundaries and professional ethics while prioritizing the existing therapeutic relationship with the adolescent client. By offering a list of therapists, the social worker acknowledges the mother's request without overstepping the professional boundaries of individual therapy. It also demonstrates respect for the adolescent's therapy process and confidentiality, which is crucial in maintaining trust and integrity in the therapeutic relationship. This action allows the mother to seek the necessary support for her relationship while the adolescent continues to receive individualized care. Engaging in family therapy or providing couples therapy personally could create conflicts of interest and complicate the therapeutic dynamics. This potential dual role could compromise the individual therapy's effectiveness, as the social worker may become involved in multiple layers of family issues, making it difficult to remain objective and focused on the client's needs. Therefore, guiding the mother to seek appropriate help elsewhere is a sound professional decision.