ASWB Exam Study Guide

Part I Welcome to Part I of our two-part blog series regarding DSM-5-TR updates. Earlier this year, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) released the DSM-5-TR, which includes updates to the DSM 5. Before you panic, let me reassure you that most of the changes are minor. The primary purpose of the updates is to clarify the descriptive text of certain DSM disorders. Most of the changes include minor phrasing updates and grammatical changes. The criteria sets remain essentially unchanged. The significant change in the DSM-5-TR is the addition of some new diagnoses, which we review here. Let

As we discussed last month in our blog on Gestalt Therapy, a challenge of the ASWB LMSW and LCSW exams is the breadth of content that can be tested. In particular, many different therapy theories can show up on the test. So today we cover another less commonly tested theory: Interpersonal Psychotherapy. Interpersonal Psychotherapy Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is an evidence-based therapy for Depressive Disorders, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Social Phobia and some Eating Disorders. IPT improves interpersonal functioning, thereby decreasing presenting symptoms. IPT is brief and

One of the challenges of the ASWB LMSW and LCSW exams are the breadth of content that can be tested. One particularly dense area of content are the many therapy theories. Today we delve into a less commonly tested theory, but one that does show up from time to time: Gestalt. In addition to covering Gestalt in our therapy theories quick study, we also have a practical and engaging 9 hour CE course on this topic. While it goes in more depth than what is tested, it is a great resource for your clinical practice. ASWB Application of Gestalt Therapy So how could Gestalt therapy show up on the test

This month’s ASWB LMSW and LCSW topic is one that is important well beyond the exam: Clinical Documentation. Even our code of ethics speaks to the importance of clinical documentation. “Social workers should take reasonable steps to ensure that documentation in records is accurate and reflects the services provided. Social workers should include sufficient and timely documentation in records to facilitate the delivery of services and to ensure continuity of services provided to clients in the future” (standard 3.04, NASW Code of Ethics). Regardless of the setting(s) you work in throughout your

Today’s ASWB social work blog topic is one that is important for both the exams and our clinical practice: clinical assessment. In fact, this topic is so important that TDC created a six hour clinical assessment course on life stressors and coping. While this course goes into more depth than will be needed for the LMSW or LCSW exams, it is a great resource for anyone in clinical practice. Clinical Assessment in Social Work The assessment process is key to understanding why a client is seeking treatment, what their presenting issue(s) are, and what they are hoping to gain from treatment. It

As I coach our LMSW and LCSW customers, the question of the ‘why’-the purpose of the test- sometimes comes up. Ultimately, the ASWB exists for the purpose of public safety. The ASWB exists to be a gatekeeper to the profession, ensuring licensed social workers are able to practice safely and ethically. So many questions on the exam fall under safety and ethics. (And so many of our challenging situations once we’re licensed come from ethical issues; more on our ethics CE offerings below!). ASWB Exam Prep: Ethics So what happens when a social worker acts in a manner that is unsafe or that goes

We’re back with more on negative reinforcement! Today wraps up our series comparing recall vs. application vs. reasoning questions. Throughout 2021, every two months we’ve taken a topic that could show up on the ASWB exams and compared two ways it could be tested. February and March covered Narcissistic Personality Disorder. In April and May we looked at Antisocial Personality Disorder. In June and July we covered the differences between Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2. Last month, we tackled the topic of negative reinforcement with a recall question. This month we’re back with a final question on

So, after a 2 month hiatus to cover recent changes to the NASW code of ethics, we are back with another ASWB practice question! This month we continue our series comparing recall vs. application vs. reasoning questions. Every two months this year, we're taking a topic that could show up on the ASWB exams and comparing two ways it could be tested. In February and March we covered Narcissistic Personality Disorder. April and May were all about Antisocial Personality Disorder. In June and July we covered the differences between Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2. This month we are diving into a commonly

You may or may not have heard that the NASW recently published revisions to the social work code of ethics. While minor, these revisions are so important to our field (and in my opinion, were a long time coming!). These changes fall into two main categories: self-care and cultural competence. Last month’s blog discussed the updates regarding self-care, and today’s blog discusses updates regarding cultural competence. Similarly to self-care, these updates impact our practice more than they will the exam (more on that below!). These changes come at a time where racism, discrimination, and

For many social workers, ASWB exam registration means facing one of their biggest fears: taking an exam. Anxiety sets in when we have to face the unknown. Understanding how tests like the ASWB exam are developed can help to demystify the process, and guide your studying process. Test anxiety is real. Every day social workers worldwide fret about taking their ASWB exam. Some complain that the exam is unfair and should be eliminated. Others procrastinate while repeating the mantra that they are “...bad at tests.” Very few social workers look forward to ASWB exam registration and the challenge