When it comes to passing the LCSW and MFT exams, people frequently ask me, "how much do I need to study?". They rarely ask, "how little do I need to study?". The first question is harder for me to answer. For one thing, people vary greatly in their studying efficiency. Most people say they are studying, but when you measure how much they’ve learned in that time, it’s very little. The other potential problem is that people tend to review the same material so many times that their brains stop listening and tune out, just as it does when a person tells you the same story over and over. Both of

It’s hard for me to believe, but we’ve been at this blog for 19 weeks now…we’re rolling through our 50 Topics pretty quick! This week, our attention turns to Stages of Development. You can guarantee that there will be a handful of questions on your exam that pertain to developmental stages, and most will reference either Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development or Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development. Let’s take a look at a potential test item that incorporates this topic: Sample: A 32 year-old man seeks treatment from a social worker for ongoing problems with both his personal and

The rumors are true. The BBS will be changing the exam process for the MFT and LCSW exams but not until January 1, 2014. This is a change from the January 1, 2013 date that was originally proposed. In January 2013, a new registrant (MFT intern/Associate Clinical Social Worker) with the Board will be required to take the new California Law and Ethics Exam within the first year of registration with the Board. If the Law and Ethics Exam is not passed within the first renewal period, the registrant must complete a 12-hour law and ethics course in order to be eligible to take the exam in the next

This week brings us to Factors Affecting Mental Health. Most of these factors, including environmental and psychosocial factors, are recorded on Axis IV of the DSM Multiaxial Assessment. You will see these factors in many test questions and will often be asked to prioritize interventions based on multiple stressors/factors. Let's look at an example: Sample: A family contacts a social worker for help with an increase in conflict and fighting. During the intake, the wife tells the social worker that her husband's mother recently moved in with the family after his father passed away. She goes on

This week, we're moving on to Axis III -- Medical Conditions. A medical condition warrants recording on Axis III of a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis when it affects the client's mental health (so if someone has diabetes, but has had it for years and is managing it well, it might not be recorded). Here's one way this topic will almost certainly come up on the exam: Sample: A 47 year-old man seeks services from a social worker for symptoms of depression. In the initial session, the man reports that he has had difficulty sleeping, has been feeling hopeless, and has been suffering from near-constant

While the DSM-IV-TR considers Mental Retardation one of the Disorders Usually First Diagnosed in Infancy, Childhood, or Adolescence, we've decided to look at it as part of our tour of Axis II Disorders. Mental Retardation is on Axis II because of its lifelong trajectory and pervasive affect on functioning. Here's one way it may come up in a test item: Sample: A social worker begins treatment with a mother and her 5 year-old son. When she greets the family in the waiting room, the social worker notices several distinct facial features on the child that would indicate Down's Syndrome. When the

Ah, Personality Disorders. This category of disorders is guaranteed to come up on the exam, both in terms of differential diagnosis and in terms of treatment interventions/approaches. Let's take a look at a sample test item: Sample: A 24 year-old woman presents for an initial appointment wearing what appears to be an afghan and 3-D glasses. She tells the social worker that her mother recommended that she see a therapist for "social issues." With prompting, the woman reports that she does not have any close friends and has never had an intimate relationship. She says, "These glasses give me the

This week, we're taking a look at Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders. It's important that you feel comfortable bringing up the issue of sex with your clients; they may present with feelings of shame, embarrassment, anger or confusion and it's essential that you demonstrate your ability to work with them by introducing sex as an acceptable topic for discussion. Differential diagnosis is one of the most likely forms it will take on the exam. Sample: During an initial appointment, the social worker asks a husband and wife their reasons for seeking treatment. The wife hesitantly tells the social

When a news story focuses on mental illness, it's often Schizophrenia, Major Depressive Disorder or Bipolar Disorder that takes center stage. Recently, however, a news story put a different kind of mental illness in the spotlight, and I have to admit, for me, it's been fascinating to follow. Before I give too much away, here's a sample question that was partially inspired by the recent story involving the high school students in New York. Sample: A 17 year-old girl is admitted to a psychiatric unit after sudden onset of symptoms. According to her assessment, 2 weeks before her admission, she

Hey all, this week we are looking at grief and Bereavement. This topic comes up on the exam in a few ways: differential diagnosis (usually between Bereavement, Adjustment Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder); stages of grief; and the expression of grief throughout the life cycle. Here's a sample question to get us going: Sample A 53 year-old man seeks help from a social worker in private practice. During the assessment, the man reports that his wife of 25 years died a month ago in a car accident. The man tells the social worker that he has been having difficulty sleeping and does not feel