FAQs

This week's topic is what I believe to be one of the most important aspects of social work, and a term that is really good to know for the LMSW exam. When answering questions on the LMSW exam we always want to approach questions while keeping a client's sense of self-determination in mind. Self-determination encompasses so much of our work and ensures that the client is making decisions based on their own needs and wants. Before I get any further, let's get started with sample questions to help you prepare for the LMSW exam. Sample Question: All of the following are aspects of self

What pieces should you consider when you answer questions about community work or advocacy on your social work exam? If you're preparing for a social work exam (whether it's the Master's level or Clinical level) or an MFT exam, chances are you'll need to know something about working on a community level and/or providing advocacy services for clients. As we've seen in weeks past, knowing the role that the therapist is in gives the test-taker a clear direction when looking for the best answer choice, and this topic is no exception. Working on a community level and providing advocacy comes with

What do you need to know about research to PASS your LCSW exam or MFT exam? Let TDC help! Hopefully by now you've come out of your tryptophan-induced haze and are back into the swing of studying. This week, our topic is research, and while it doesn't make up a big proportion of questions on the LCSW exam or MFT exam, it is important to have certain aspects of this topic under your belt before you take your test. Here's one way it might come up on your LCSW exam or MFT exam. A therapist in a community mental health agency is developing a speciality in treating adolescents with eating disorders

What do you need to know about unconscious motivation for the LMSW exam? Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you are all enjoying some delicious food and taking the time to do something special today. I know how hard it can be around the holidays to get studying in, but as Bethany said on Tuesday’s blog, doing a little bit each day can go a long way as you prepare for the LMSW exam. This week we have Freud to thank for our term, unconscious motivation. Let’s get started with a sample question to see how this term may show up on the LMSW exam. Which of the following BEST defines unconscious

What should you know about case management before you take your LCSW Exam or MFT Exam? This week, many of us will be focused on travel, gathering with family and friends, and (hopefully) taking some time to reflect on all of the things we're grateful for. I hope you can add finding TDC to your list -- we are passionate about what we do and want nothing more than to help you PASS your LCSW exam or MFT exam with confidence! If you're in the midst of exam prep, this time of year can be very challenging: take Amanda's advice to heart -- aim to study 90 minutes per day 5 days a week and take time

What do you need to know about triangulation for the LMSW exam? The term triangulation is most often associated with Bowen and his Family Systems Theory. Family Systems Theory suggests that individuals cannot be understood in isolation from one another, but rather as a part of their family. Family members are driven to achieve a balance of internal and external differentiation which causes anxiety, emotional cutoff, and triangulation. Both triangulation and Family Systems Theory are important to know for the LMSW exam, so let's get started with a sample question. Sample Question: Which of the

Administrative social workers do much more than just push paperwork. This week, we're turning our attention to administrative social work. Some of you may notice that I've left "MFT Exam" out of our title this week and it's on purpose -- the MFT licensure exams don't typically place the therapist in the role of administrator, while the social work exams, and particularly the ASWB social work exam, do. Let's take a look at a sample item: Sample: A program director at a community agency receives a directive from the agency's board to cut operating costs related to field-based services. The

I've been sitting here trying to come up with some witty connection between today's election and our topic, but I just can't do it. So I'll just say this: if you're studying for the LCSW exam or MFT exam, hopefully today's election is either providing you with some healthy distraction from your studying, or your studying is providing you with a much-needed distraction from election coverage. We're turning our attention this week to Medical/Hospital Social Work (mental health services) -- let's check out one way this might come up on your LCSW exam or MFT exam: Sample: A 53 year-old woman has

When working with client's there are a lot of various techniques that can help us gain a better understanding of what a client is thinking or feeling. One of these techniques is reframing, which is important to know not only for the LMSW exam, but also for your social work practice. Let's get started with a sample question. Sample Question: Which of the following BEST defines reframing? A. A technique in which the interviewer expresses the idea of what the client has just said so that relevant points are pulled together and emphasized. B. A skill that enables the social worker to seek

One of the most important strategies you can use when you take your social work exam or MFT exam is to be aware of the ROLE that the therapist is in -- is the therapist providing therapy? Working in a hospital? Providing case management? This week's topic is School Social Work, which we can extend to MFT's, since they also provide school-based therapeutic services. Let's look at one way this might come up on the social work exam: Sample: A school therapist is asked to evaluate an 8 year-old student who has recently started having behavioral issues in the classroom. The teacher reports that the