The DSM-5 was published in 2013. Many social workers went to school learning the DSM-IV-TR and because of this, we still receive coaching questions about the differences between the DSM-IV-TR and the DSM-5. We know regardless of which DSM you went to school with, picking up the DSM-5 can feel daunting. The thought of learning and applying all of the DSM-5 information to LCSW exam questions can be overwhelming. But fear not: TDC's got you covered! How am I supposed to memorize the DSM-5? The good news is, you aren’t! The ASWB does not expect you to have the DSM-5 memorized. One of my favorite

Alright Social Work Exam and MFT Exam-Takers, it’s Tuesday, time for another free LCSW practice exam question to help you study. For this week's Hot Topic we’re taking a brief look at Domestic Violence. Let’s take a closer look at a possible test item.

The field of addiction counseling is a tough one at times. Helping a client along their journey from their life being out of control to recovery can be one of the most rewarding parts of being a therapist. However, just as exhilarating as it is to see a client succeed, it can be daunting when they don’t. There is no such thing as a perfect client or therapist. Here is what you need to know, so you don’t personalize a client’s relapse. What is a relapse? Relapse is the return of an illness after a period of improvement. The time frame of improvement differs from person to person. There is a

MFT (Marriage and Family Therapist ) - It is nearly impossible to move through adulthood without being asked (possibly too often) “What is it that you do?” And it’s often the case that a response of, “I’m an MFT,” is met with a look of confusion. The mental health field has more acronyms than one can count. MFT, LCSW, LPCC, HIPAA, BBS, CBT, DBT…and the list goes on. Even when the acronym is spelled out, “Marriage and Family Therapist,” an explanation is often still required. What is a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT)? According to the Federal government, Marriage and Family Therapists are

As you prepare for your ASWB exam, know that issues surrounding aging adults are likely to show up in one form or another on your test. The ASWB is assessing not only that you know how to appropriately respond to scenario questions with aging adults, but also that you know symptoms for common diagnoses such as Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, and Alzheimer's. Additionally-and this is an important one-they want to make sure you aren’t answering based on any underlying assumptions or stereotypes you have about aging adults. Self-Determination Like our work with any client population, we want to

As a sex therapist, your decision to specialize in a niche clinical area is an important one. There are many areas of focus that you can choose to work in. My advice is that you work in a few areas to decide what you enjoy and more importantly, what you don’t enjoy. As you develop your general clinical skills, you will begin to find the type of client issues you enjoy working with on a daily basis. My clinical journey led me to the field of clinical sexology. Many factors went into my decision-making process to specialize in the area. If you are considering specializing as a sex therapist

This month’s California law and ethics practice question tests your knowledge of legal and ethical issues regarding advertising. If you are an associate MFT, Social Worker, or PCC in California, you can expect to see questions related to this topic appear on your exam Law and Ethics exams. It’s important to know the legal requirements, delineated in the CA Business and Professions Code and the ethical obligations included in your professions code of ethics. The BBS falls under the Department of Consumer Affairs and wants to ensure consumers have the correct information to make informed

When someone asks me what it’s like to be a therapist, I often reply that it’s never the same hour twice. Of course, each counseling client is different, but so is every session, whether it’s the variety of issues that clients present with to the different life experiences, every hour is different. Even though there are infinite possibilities of presenting problems that clients have, there is one question that you should be asking every counseling client. Regardless of your theoretical approach or counseling style, you should ask the question, “What do you want to work on today?” The power of

Last month, the California law and ethics practice question tested your knowledge on HIPAA. This month, we are continuing with this theme and exploring insurance more generally. It’s possible, though highly unlikely, that you have avoided working with insurance thus far. Regardless, the BBS expects you to be familiar with the issues that arise when working with insurance. You can definitely expect to be tested on the subject. And while this blog cannot address every insurance-related issue, it will provide you an opportunity to test your knowledge on a key issue for the topic. How might the

[caption id="attachment_2202" align="alignnone" width="900"] community social work[/caption] For many of us pursuing clinical licensure, thinking about the macro social work questions that could show up on the exam sends our otherwise clinically confident selves into a mental tailspin. It makes sense; for most of us taking the ASWB social work exams (whether LMSW or LCSW), our intent is to do clinical work. Because many of us lack work experience at the community level, this topic feels daunting. What is Community Social Work? Community social work looks at the impact larger social systems