LCSW Exam Prep

Whether you are preparing to take the MFT Law and Ethics exam or the LCSW Law and Ethics exam, you are very likely to see questions on the topic of self-determination and patient autonomy. So why is patient autonomy important and what does the concept of self-determination mean? Well, it means that we do not tell our clients what to do and meet them exactly where they are at in the moment. Examples of patient self-determination: A client makes the decision of whether or not to stay in a relationship, even if the relationship is abusive in nature. A client chooses to focus on a particular issue

Yesterday we discussed Piaget’s Preoperational stage of development, including a FREE ASWB practice question to help you get prepared for your LMSW and LCSW exams. Did you get it right? ASWB Practice Question: Each of the following is characteristic of the preoperational stage of development EXCEPT: A. The child develops object permanence B. The child uses symbolic function C. The child can solve problems mentally D. The child engages in symbolic play The correct answer is A. By the time children reach the Preoperational stage, they have already developed permanence. Children develop object

Whether you are preparing for your master’s ASWB exam or clinical ASWB exam, you are bound to get at least a few questions on the various developmental stages - are you ready to successfully answer them? Within Erickson’s, Piaget’s, and Freud’s developmental stages, there is a lot to learn, and trying to learn it all can feel downright daunting. Amanda Rowan has done an excellent job identifying the most commonly tested information across these developmental stages and has created a user-friendly quick study on the developmental stages for anyone using one of TDC’s LMSW or LCSW ASWB exam prep

Yesterday we explored the differences between the defense mechanisms introjection/internalization and identification. These can be difficult ones to distinguish, so if you haven’t already, we encourage you to check out yesterday’s blog post! Today we have a discussion of the answer and rationale for yesterday’s practice question.

Introjection/Internalization and Identification As an LCSW and LMSW exam coach, there are no defense mechanisms I get more emails and questions about than introjection/internalization and identification. Introjection and internaization are used pretty interchangeably on the exam, so going forward in this blog I will just use ‘identification’ for the sake of simplicity. There is a lot of confusion out there regarding the differences between these defense mechanisms, and our hope is that today’s blog will help you distinguish between these as you prepare for your LCSW and LMSW exams!

Negative Reinforcement vs. Positive Reinforcment In yesterday’s blog, we explored the topic of behavioral reinforcement, differentiating between negative reinforcement, positive reinforcement, and punishment. If you haven’t had a chance to check out yesterday’s blog, we encourage you to do so! Did you get yesterday’s question correct? Read on to find out!

Negative Reinforcement vs. Positive Reinforcement Reinforcement is a topic that could very well show up on your LMSW or LCSW exam and is one that tends to trip many of us up. Because of our strong associations with the words negative (bad) and positive (good), it is all too easy to be thrown off by these otherwise straightforward questions on the LCSW and LMSW exams. When it comes to reinforcement, it is crucial to keep in mind that negative does not mean bad and positive does not mean good. Let me repeat that: when it comes to reinforcement on the LCSW and LMSW exams, negative does not mean bad and positive does not mean good. In the context of this term, negative reinforcement refers to taking something away and positive reinforcement refers to adding something. Negative=taking something away; Positive=adding something. Because of these associations, people often confuse negative reinforcement and punishment on the exam, despite the fact that these are two very different concepts. Let’s spend a little time looking at these three concepts.

In our FREE ASWB practice question blog yesterday, we explored the topic of couples counseling, specifically looking at what to do when domestic violence is disclosed. Did you answer this practice question correctly? Find out below as we share the answer and rationale!

Couples therapy is a topic the ASWB loves to put on their licensing exams. This can be a challenging area for many people preparing to test, as a lot of us do not have any experience engaging in couples work. One of the areas within couples therapy they like to assess your knowledge and skill on is what you would do if a couple divulges physical or emotional abuse to you. Do you know what to do when this occurs? This is important subject matter for both the exam and your practice should you ever encounter it. Here’s a sample question to see if you are ready to successfully approach this topic on the exam!

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to speak with a TDC user who recently passed her MFT Clinical exam. Over the course of our conversation, I learned quite a bit about her path to licensure; it took longer than she hoped, as this was not the first time she took the exam. We discussed her experience using other test prep programs, how she felt following her first attempt at the exam, and the unique aspects of test anxiety that she encountered as she prepared to resit for her exam. The goal of this month’s test anxiety blog, born out of that conversation, is to provide guidance on how to manage the process of preparing to retest and offer some strategies and encouragement for those who find themselves in similar situations.