Clinical and Macro Terms for LCSW Clinical Exam

Flashcards covering clinical and macro terms based on the LCSW Clinical Exam study guide from the Therapist Development Center.

Countertransference

A set of conscious or unconscious emotional reactions to a client experienced by a therapist, usually originating in the therapist's own developmental conflicts or past; a good first step when this occurs is to seek supervision.

Transference

Emotional reactions assigned to current relationships that originated in earlier experiences, often presenting as feelings a client has toward a therapist, which can be discussed and used therapeutically.

Dual Diagnosis

The occurrence of coexistent diagnoses within an individual, most commonly associated with a substance use disorder and another psychiatric disorder.

Dual Relationship

Having a second role with the client in addition to the client-therapist relationship, such as knowing a client outside of the therapeutic relationship as a friend, business associate, family member, or sex partner.

Ego Syntonic

Traits of personality, thought, behavior, and values that are incorporated by the individual who considers them acceptable and consistent with his or her overall true self.

Ego Dystonic

Traits of personality, behavior, thought, or orientation considered to be unacceptable, repugnant, or inconsistent with the individual's perceptions—conscious or unconscious—of himself or herself.

Empathy

A therapeutic technique in which the social worker communicates to a client that they perceive and understand the experiences, emotional state, and/or ideas of their client.

Empowerment Model

Utilizes interventions that help people achieve a sense of control in their lives by using a client's strengths, resources, and resilience to reduce powerlessness created by oppressive social and political environments.

Evidence Based Practice

Combines the social worker's clinical experience, code of ethics, and client preferences with well-researched interventions to guide treatment and services to achieve therapeutic goals.

Informed Consent

The process of a client granting permission to engage in treatment after receiving information about treatment, including potential risks and benefits.

Self-Determination

An ethical principle of social work that allows clients to make their own choices about their treatment and their lives.

Reflection/Reflective Listening

Accurately describing the client's verbal and nonverbal clues, responding to feelings and content to communicate an accurate sense of the world as the client experiences it; described as holding up a mirror in counseling.

Reframing

A technique used to help clients see their situation in a new light or from a different perspective they haven't thought of.

Interpretation

The therapist's clinical impression of the meaning behind a behavior/communication that goes beyond explicit content and involves communicating an inferred component to add new understanding.

Summary

Condensing the main points of what the client is saying or feeling to recap key points of the session before it ends.

Confrontation

Addressing and bringing awareness to something the client may be overlooking, avoiding, or denying; used only after rapport is established or to address therapy interfering behavior.

Clarification

Used when the client makes a vague or ambiguous statement in order to understand what they mean.

Probing questions

Questions the social worker asks to help the client dig deeper into their thoughts, feelings, and opinions to promote critical thinking and self-reflection.

Social Justice

A social work ethical principle involving working toward everyone having the same economic, political, and social rights, protections, and opportunities.

Board of Directors

A committee responsible for significant decisions and direction within an organization, including mission, vision, funding, high-level staffing, and strategic planning.

Capacity Building

The process of improving an individual or organization's abilities, skills, processes, and resources in order to expand, grow, and fulfill its mission.

Coalition

Brings together people, groups, factions, or political parties to join resources and manpower to work towards a specific goal that individuals could not achieve alone; often larger than a task force.

Task force

Any group or organization assembled for or assigned to complete a specific task, often seen in community organizing or large-scale program development.

Community Organizing

Engaging with and empowering members of a community to address common problems and bring about positive change by addressing issues identified by community members.

Program Development

The planning, development, and execution of a new program or service to meet an unmet need.

Overall program evaluation (Outcome or Summative evaluation)

Looks at the results of a program to determine whether or not it met the stated goals of the program.

Process evaluation

Analyzes the implementation of the program to determine whether each step of the program was executed effectively.

Policy Analysis

The evaluation of a policy to understand what led to its creation and implementation and how it will impact various people and communities.

Focus Group

A small group of people gathered to provide opinions, ideas, and beliefs on a particular subject.

Feasibility Study

The process of assessing an agency or organization's ability to carry out a particular task.

Social security administration

An independent agency of the U.S. federal government that administers Social Security, including retirement, disability, and survivor benefits.

501(c)3

A non-profit, tax-exempt organization.