The intention of this ‘applied exam’ is to provide you with an opportunity to use some of the conceptual and interventional skills that you have gained over the course of the semester in application to a role-played psychotherapy session. Be thoughtful and thorough. Remember to answer the specific question that is being asked of you. Even though is a demonstration of a very specific modality of therapy, where questions are posed to you that invite your opinion, you may of course draw on information/ thoughts/ material from some of the other modalities that you’ve been taught.
Link on google drive of the video to be used: https://drive.google.com/file/d/128s3N4iW47BU05Px1XKIi0xIEPl7Cf3x/view?usp=sharing
QUESTIONS:
1. What was the therapist trying to accomplish? What were her main goals for this session? Were the goals clearly evident to you? How do you know this? If the therapist’s goals were not clear, then state this. (4)
2. How was the therapist trying to accomplish the goals (in #1 above)? In other words, how did she proceed to work on achieving the goals for the session? (Describe the therapeutic techniques/ interventions that were used to achieve the therapeutic goals). (4)
3. What was the theoretical basis for what the therapist was doing? Do you think the theory was applied skilfully? (2)
4. Do you think the therapy was helpful to the person? (a) If so, what about it was helpful? Discuss. (b) What about the session was not helpful. Why do you think so? (4)
5. What do you think of the therapist’s therapeutic style? (Does she possess the basic therapeutic qualities that are known to be effective? And which qualities did you see evidence of? Provide some examples.) (4)
6. What is the therapeutic relationship like? What strategies are used to strengthen the alliance? (4)
7. How is the session structured? Can you label some of the parts and what occurs in each part? (5)
8. Provide examples of automatic thoughts that Rachel expresses (in-session or in her description of previous experiences)? Label the automatic thoughts in relation to the type of typical cognitive distortion it represents. (5)
9. What Action Plan assignments (formerly called homework) does Rachel agree to do? (4)
10. What other treatment goals do you think would be useful for Rachel and her therapist to focus on in future sessions and what techniques/ strategies would you suggest to achieve these goals? (Think longitudinally and feel free to cite and discuss goals/techniques beyond the demonstrated modality) (4)