The California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) implemented many new changes that affect Associate Clinical Social Workers (ASWs) who are currently pursuing licensure and those who supervise ASWs as well. There are a few laws that will affect others, including MFTs and PCCs, seeking licensure and those already licensed with the BBS; be on the lookout for those down below as well. We thought it might be helpful to highlight the big changes that are taking place, but as always it's good to read the new laws in detail here: BBS Law Changes for 2019 What are the major changes? The BBS has

You feel confident and competent in your clinical skills, but there is always something you can improve on. Even the most skilled clinician has room to grow. One area to ensure you are providing the best care is for your LGBTQIA+ clients. They face many barriers throughout their lives, and you can be great support for the community. Let’s start with defining the acronym LGBTQIA+. This stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and the (+) plus includes all of the other identities along the spectrum. This symbol is used to be inclusive of identities that aren’t

Happy New Year! We finished last year with a practice question that tested your knowledge of a therapist’s duty to protect when a client is a danger to others. We are starting the New Year also exploring a therapist’s duty to protect. However, this time we will explore a therapist’s obligations concerning danger to self. Danger to Self If you are an associate MFT, social worker, or PCC studying for the California Law and Ethics exam you are pretty much guaranteed to see at least one question regarding danger to self appear on your exam. The BBS wants to know that you are able to navigate this

Happy New Year to all of you who are getting ready to PASS your ASWB exams in 2019! Let's start the year off right with a FREE ASWB exam practice question to get you ready to achieve all of your 2019 social work goals. Clinical Supervision If you’re studying for the ASWB exam, clinical supervision is a topic that you could very well see showing up on your exam. A number of the individuals I’m coaching have asked, “how am I supposed to know what to do as a supervisor if I’ve never been a supervisor before?” That’s a great question, and thankfully TDC is here to help you prepare for all aspects

You may be feeling overwhelmed by the number of new terms, theories, and practices you are learning. With all of the clinical information, you are consuming it can be easy to gloss over the concepts of transference and countertransference. You know it makes sense that as a clinician you may be triggered by a client or you remind the client of someone they know. You may feel it’s common sense and it will be easy to identify in the clinical setting. However, transference and countertransference can be the areas that cause the most significant issues for you as a clinician. Here is why these

The holiday season has arrived! Everywhere we turn, we are reminded of this; whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, some combination of all holidays or a different one altogether, it’s a busy time of year. The streets are filled with holiday lights, the stores are playing holiday music; it is truly inescapable. The holidays are generally a joyous time, and at the same time the season is exceptionally busy and can be emotionally fraught for many of us. It is important to be mindful of how the holiday season affects you in order to maintain a realistic study plan and manage your

In our most recent social work blog post, we began discussing a core tenant of the social work profession: self-determination. Self-determination is our clients' right to make decisions regarding their treatment and their lives. While there will undoubtedly be times we do not agree with our clients, honoring their self-determination means that despite this disagreement, we support and trust their ability to make decisions for themselves. Self-determination is a topic we can just about guarantee will show up on your ASWB social work licensing exams (likely multiple times); so let's make sure

This week, our free MFT exam practice question is going to focus on the topic of substance use. This is a subject that will likely appear on your exam since substance use and substance abuse issues are rather prevalent in our society. Furthermore, they usually go hand in hand with mental health struggles clients experience, since many tend to self-medicate using various substances. The licensing board wants to make sure that all of us are aware of what to look for and what to do in case substance use conditions are present. Regardless of how much or how little you already know about this

[caption id="attachment_1881" align="alignright" width="300"] Image courtesy of Urine Drug Test[/caption] Think back to grade school when you heard the slogan “Just Say No” to drugs. Your perception of drug addiction may have involved dimly lit streets, shady characters, and feeling far removed from your daily life. At that time, you may not have thought of a doctor office or a 70-year-old grandmother as being involved in substance abuse. The same individuals who use a few pain pills can quickly find themselves injecting heroin. The opioid epidemic has changed societies perception of drug

This month’s blog explores the topic of duty to protect. It is not uncommon for us to receive questions on this topic from people preparing for their MFT or social work law and ethics or clinical exams. A therapist's duty to protect is a complicated and emotionally charged issue to navigate. Most clinicians have not encountered clients who are a danger to others, which is a positive thing; however, it tends to make questions on this subject more challenging since it is an abstract concept. It is important to develop an understanding of your responsibilities with clients who are a danger to