Glossary

Every key term in the course, A to Z.

475 key terms from 63 lessons. Each one links to the lesson that teaches it. A definition that looks familiar is not the same as one you can produce, so when a section feels easy, drill it in Term match.

Drill these in Term match

How to use the glossary

The glossary collects the key terms from every published lesson in the NCE course and puts them in one alphabetical list. Each entry gives the short definition the lesson uses and links back to that lesson, so you can read the term in context when the one-line version is not enough. When two lessons define a term from different angles, both definitions are listed, each with its own lesson.

Use it three ways. First, as a check after a lesson: choose the lesson's domain, find the terms you just read, and cover each definition before you look. Second, as a search tool when a practice item uses a word you cannot place: type part of the word and the list narrows as you type. Third, as a weekly review: pick the domain your study plan has you on that week, read down its terms once, and mark any you could not have defined on your own.

Recognizing a definition is easier than producing one, and the exam asks you to produce it. A term that looks familiar here may still be one you would miss on an item, so count a term as known only when you can say its definition before you read it. When a domain feels easy, send its terms to Term match, which deals them five at a time and brings your misses back in the next round, or add them to your flashcard review.

A worked example. A practice item describes a teenager who is pulled into her parents' conflict so the two of them can avoid each other, and asks which concept fits. If two answer choices look alike, search here for "triang", read the entry, and open the family systems lesson it links to. Then close the page and write the definition in one line from memory. If you can, the term is yours. If you cannot, it goes into this week's flashcard review.

The Print button prints the list as it appears on screen, so filter to one domain first if you want a shorter sheet to review away from a screen.

All 475 key terms, A to Z

Each definition is the one the lesson uses, with a link to the lesson that teaches it.

# · A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · Z

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68-95-99.7
Percent within 1, 2, 3 SD. Norms, scales of measurement, standard scores and percentiles · Descriptive statistics: central tendency, variability, the normal curve

A

A.9.a screening
Select compatible members; protect well-being. Screening, informed consent, confidentiality and ethics in groups
A.9.b protecting members
Reasonable precautions against harm. Screening, informed consent, confidentiality and ethics in groups
ABAB design
Single-subject reversal design. Research designs and threats to internal and external validity
Abandonment
Ending services without notice or referral; prohibited. Boundaries, multiple relationships, gifts, and ending the relationship
Ending services without referral or transition. Barriers, monitoring progress, revising the plan and referral
Prohibited; arrangements required for absence or departure. Termination, relapse prevention and follow-up
ABC model
Activating event, Belief, Consequence; D and E for treatment. Cognitive and behavioral therapies: Ellis, Beck, Meichenbaum
Abstinence violation effect
All-or-nothing thinking that turns a lapse into relapse. Termination, relapse prevention and follow-up
Acculturation
Change after contact with a second culture. Acculturation, worldview, and high- and low-context communication
Acculturative stress
Strain from adapting; includes intergenerational conflict. Acculturation, worldview, and high- and low-context communication
ACE study
Dose-response link between childhood adversity and adult outcomes. Children and adolescents: bullying, abuse, school problems and self-harm
ACT hexaflex
Six processes toward psychological flexibility. Cognitive and behavioral therapies: Ellis, Beck, Meichenbaum
Actualizing tendency
Rogers: the innate drive toward growth. Humanistic and existential: Rogers, Maslow, May, Frankl, Yalom
Acute stress disorder
Trauma symptoms, three days to one month. Anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and trauma- and stressor-related disorders
ADA (1990)
Prohibits disability discrimination; requires reasonable accommodation. Gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion and age: what the exam asks
ADHD
Six symptoms (five if 17+), before age 12, two settings. Psychotic, personality, neurodevelopmental, eating and sleep disorders
Adjustment disorder
Within three months of a stressor; resolves within six months after. Anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and trauma- and stressor-related disorders
Advocacy Competencies
Client, school/community, public arena; acting with or on behalf of. Privilege, oppression, microaggressions, and the ACA Advocacy Competencies
Affirmative counseling
Validates LGBTQ+ identity; the ACA opposes conversion therapy. Gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion and age: what the exam asks
Agoraphobia
Fear of two or more situations where escape is hard. Anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and trauma- and stressor-related disorders
Alpha
Probability of Type I error; .05 or .01. Inferential statistics: hypothesis testing, Type I and II errors, effect size
Alternate forms
Two equivalent versions. Reliability and validity: every type the exam names
Altruism
Helping others helps the helper. Yalom's eleven therapeutic factors
Ambiguous loss
Loss without closure (Boss). Grief, loss, divorce, adoption and family transitions
ANCOVA / MANOVA
Adjusts for covariate / multiple DVs. Which test: t-test, ANOVA, chi-square, correlation and regression
Anorexia vs. bulimia
Low weight / normal weight with compensation. Psychotic, personality, neurodevelopmental, eating and sleep disorders
Answer changing
Change only with a reason you can name; first instincts are right more often than not once you have read carefully. How to read an NCE item: FIRST, BEST, MOST and EXCEPT
Anticipatory grief
Grieving before an expected death. Grief, loss, divorce, adoption and family transitions
Antisocial PD
Age 18 or older, conduct disorder before 15. Psychotic, personality, neurodevelopmental, eating and sleep disorders
APGA → AACD → ACA
1952, 1983, 1992: the association's three names. The counseling profession: history, credentials and who regulates what
ASAM criteria
Six dimensions place the client in a level of care. Substance use and addictive disorders
ASERVIC
Competencies for spirituality and religion in counseling. Gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion and age: what the exam asks
ASGW Best Practices
Planning, performing, processing. Screening, informed consent, confidentiality and ethics in groups
Aspirational ethics
Striving for the ideal, beyond minimum compliance. The ACA Code of Ethics: structure, purposes and the six moral principles
Assent
Agreement from a client who cannot legally consent. Informed consent and professional disclosure
A minor's agreement alongside the guardian's consent. From case formulation to treatment plan: problems, goals, objectives, interventions
Assertiveness training
Modeling, rehearsal, feedback. Behavioral techniques: desensitization, reinforcement, token economies
Assimilation / accommodation
Fit into schema / change the schema. Cognitive development: Piaget, Vygotsky and information processing
ASVAB / DAT
Multiple-aptitude batteries. Career assessment instruments and information resources (O*NET, SII, MBTI, SDS)
AUDIT
WHO ten-item alcohol screen; cutoff about 8. Screening for risk and substance use: the instruments and the questions
Authoritarian, democratic, laissez-faire
Lewin's styles; democratic usually best. Leadership styles, co-leadership, member roles and problem behaviors
Automatic thoughts / schemas
Beck: surface cognitions / core beliefs. Cognitive and behavioral therapies: Ellis, Beck, Meichenbaum
Autonomy
Client self-determination. The ACA Code of Ethics: structure, purposes and the six moral principles
Autonomy vs. shame and doubt
1-3; will. Freud's psychosexual and Erikson's psychosocial stages

B

Barriers
Practical, clinical, relational; addressed, not blamed. Barriers, monitoring progress, revising the plan and referral
Bartering
Allowed only at client request, non-exploitative, customary and in writing. Boundaries, multiple relationships, gifts, and ending the relationship
BASIC ID
Lazarus's seven modalities. Behavioral techniques: desensitization, reinforcement, token economies
BDI-II
Beck; 21-item depression self-report. Screening for risk and substance use: the instruments and the questions
21 items, 0-63, two weeks. Personality and clinical instruments: MMPI, MBTI, projective tests, BDI
Behavioral activation
Scheduling rewarding activity; strong evidence for depression. Depressive and bipolar disorders: criteria, distinctions and first-line treatment
Behavioral consultation
Bergan & Kratochwill: identify, analyze, implement, evaluate. Consultation models: Caplan, Schein, and behavioral consultation
Beneficence
Act for the client's good. The ACA Code of Ethics: structure, purposes and the six moral principles
Benne & Sheats roles
Task, maintenance, self-centered. Leadership styles, co-leadership, member roles and problem behaviors
Berry's strategies
Assimilation, integration, separation, marginalization. Acculturation, worldview, and high- and low-context communication
BEST / MOST appropriate
A ranking among defensible options; choose the most complete or the Code's choice. How to read an NCE item: FIRST, BEST, MOST and EXCEPT
Binet & Simon (1905)
First practical intelligence test. Intelligence, aptitude and achievement tests: Wechsler, Stanford-Binet, and the rest
Biopsychosocial
Biological, psychological and social domains of the history. The intake: biopsychosocial interview, presenting problem and cultural formulation
Bipolar I / II
Mania required / hypomania plus major depression, no mania. Depressive and bipolar disorders: criteria, distinctions and first-line treatment
Bipolar I vs. II
Mania vs. hypomania plus depression. Diagnosis, the DSM-5-TR and the mental status examination
Blocking
Stopping harmful behavior. Leadership styles, co-leadership, member roles and problem behaviors
Booster session
Planned follow-up after termination. Termination, relapse prevention and follow-up
Broaching
Counselor initiates discussion of cultural difference. The core attributes: genuineness, empathic responding, positive regard and respect
Bronfenbrenner's systems
Micro, meso, exo, macro, chrono. Learning: classical and operant conditioning, Bandura, and behavior change
Bully-victim
Both bullies and is bullied; worst outcomes. Children and adolescents: bullying, abuse, school problems and self-harm
Bullying
Repeated aggression with a power imbalance. Children and adolescents: bullying, abuse, school problems and self-harm

C

C-SSRS
Columbia scale; structures suicide risk questions. Screening for risk and substance use: the instruments and the questions
CACREP
Accredits counselor education programs, not individuals. The counseling profession: history, credentials and who regulates what
CAGE
Four alcohol questions; two positives is a positive screen. Screening for risk and substance use: the instruments and the questions
Caplan's four types
Client-centered case, consultee-centered case, program-centered administrative, consultee-centered administrative. Consultation models: Caplan, Schein, and behavioral consultation
Career maturity / adaptability
Readiness for one's stage tasks. Super's life-span, life-space theory
Career Maturity Inventory (Crites)
Attitudes and competencies for deciding. Career assessment instruments and information resources (O*NET, SII, MBTI, SDS)
Carkhuff scale
Five levels of empathy; 3 is interchangeable. The helping relationship: core conditions, microskills and stages of counseling
Subtractive, interchangeable, additive responses. The core attributes: genuineness, empathic responding, positive regard and respect
Case formulation
Links problem, causes, maintainers and strengths; drives the plan. The intake: biopsychosocial interview, presenting problem and cultural formulation
Cass
Six stages of sexual identity formation. Racial and cultural identity development models: Cross, Helms, Sue and Sue
CASVE
Communication, Analysis, Synthesis, Valuing, Execution. Krumboltz, social cognitive career theory, and planned happenstance
Catharsis
Release; needs cognitive understanding to help. Yalom's eleven therapeutic factors
CBT-I
First-line for insomnia, ahead of medication. Psychotic, personality, neurodevelopmental, eating and sleep disorders
Certification
Voluntary credential from a professional body (NCC from NBCC). The counseling profession: history, credentials and who regulates what
Change talk (DARN-CAT)
MI: desire, ability, reasons, need; commitment, activation, taking steps. Postmodern and brief approaches: solution-focused, narrative, motivational interviewing
Chi-square
Frequencies in categories; nominal. Which test: t-test, ANOVA, chi-square, correlation and regression
CIP pyramid
Knowledge, decision skills, executive processing. Krumboltz, social cognitive career theory, and planned happenstance
Circumscription
Gottfredson: size and power, sex roles, prestige, unique self. Gottfredson, Roe, Ginzberg and Tiedeman
Cisgender / transgender
Identity matches / does not match sex assigned at birth. Gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion and age: what the exam asks
Classical conditioning
Pairing produces a conditioned response; Pavlov. Learning: classical and operant conditioning, Bandura, and behavior change
Clinically significant change
Movement from the clinical to the normal range. Termination, relapse prevention and follow-up
Cluster A / B / C
Odd / dramatic / anxious. Psychotic, personality, neurodevelopmental, eating and sleep disorders
Co-occurring disorders
Treated in an integrated way, not sequentially. Substance use and addictive disorders
Cognitive triad
Negative view of self, world, future. Cognitive and behavioral therapies: Ellis, Beck, Meichenbaum
Cohen's d
.2 small, .5 medium, .8 large. Inferential statistics: hypothesis testing, Type I and II errors, effect size
Cohen's kappa
Inter-rater agreement corrected for chance. Reliability and validity: every type the exam names
Cohesiveness
Belonging; the group's alliance. Yalom's eleven therapeutic factors
Collaborative empiricism
Beck: test beliefs against evidence. Cognitive and behavioral therapies: Ellis, Beck, Meichenbaum
Collective unconscious
Jung: inherited archetypes. Psychodynamic approaches: Freud, Adler and Jung
Common factors
Relationship, hope, client factors; more than technique. The helping relationship: core conditions, microskills and stages of counseling
Alliance and counselor qualities predict outcome across theories. The core attributes: genuineness, empathic responding, positive regard and respect
Communication stances
Satir: placater, blamer, computer, distracter, leveler. Family systems: Bowen, Minuchin, Satir, Haley and Whitaker
Compromise
Give up interests first, prestige next, sex-type last. Gottfredson, Roe, Ginzberg and Tiedeman
Computer-adaptive testing
Item difficulty adapts; item response theory. Test selection, administration, interpretation and fairness
Concurrent vs. predictive
Criterion now vs. later. Reliability and validity: every type the exam names
Conditions of worth
Imposed standards that create incongruence. Humanistic and existential: Rogers, Maslow, May, Frankl, Yalom
Confidentiality
Ethical duty not to disclose. Confidentiality, privileged communication, and the duty to warn and protect
Confidentiality in groups
Cannot be guaranteed; set norms. Screening, informed consent, confidentiality and ethics in groups
Confrontation
Supportively naming a discrepancy. The helping relationship: core conditions, microskills and stages of counseling
Congruence
Person type matches environment type. Trait-factor theory, Parsons, and Holland's six types
Congruence / genuineness
Inner experience matches outer expression; no pretense. The core attributes: genuineness, empathic responding, positive regard and respect
Consent vs. assent
Guardian consents; minor assents. Children and adolescents: bullying, abuse, school problems and self-harm
Conservation
Quantity unchanged by appearance; concrete operational. Cognitive development: Piaget, Vygotsky and information processing
Consistency
Top types adjacent on the hexagon. Trait-factor theory, Parsons, and Holland's six types
Consolidation
Final stage: review, transfer, goodbye. Group stages: Tuckman, Corey and Yalom
Consultation vs supervision
Peer and voluntary vs hierarchical and evaluative. Ethical decision-making models, colleague misconduct, and supervision
Consultation vs. supervision
Voluntary and peer / evaluative and hierarchical. Consultation models: Caplan, Schein, and behavioral consultation
Contact comfort
Harlow: attachment is not about food. Attachment: Bowlby, Ainsworth and the Strange Situation
Continuing bonds
Healthy grief keeps a relationship with the deceased. Grief, loss, divorce, adoption and family transitions
Conventional
Stages 3-4: approval and law and order. Moral development: Kohlberg, Gilligan and Rest
Convergent vs. discriminant
Correlates with same / not with different constructs. Reliability and validity: every type the exam names
Conversion disorder
Neurological symptoms incompatible with known conditions. Psychotic, personality, neurodevelopmental, eating and sleep disorders
Core conditions
Congruence, unconditional positive regard, empathy. Humanistic and existential: Rogers, Maslow, May, Frankl, Yalom
Core conditions (Rogers, 1957)
Congruence, unconditional positive regard, accurate empathy. The core attributes: genuineness, empathic responding, positive regard and respect
Corrective recapitulation
Reworking family-of-origin patterns. Yalom's eleven therapeutic factors
Cottone
Social constructivism model: decisions negotiated interpersonally. Ethical decision-making models, colleague misconduct, and supervision
Counseling group
Growth-oriented; conscious, present concerns. Types of groups: task, psychoeducational, counseling, psychotherapy (ASGW)
CRAFFT
Adolescent substance screen. Screening for risk and substance use: the instruments and the questions
Crisis
Temporary breakdown of coping; 4-6 weeks; a turning point. Crisis intervention, trauma, and suicide risk assessment
Cronbach's alpha / KR-20
Internal consistency for scaled / dichotomous items. Reliability and validity: every type the exam names
Cross (Nigrescence)
Pre-encounter, encounter, immersion-emersion, internalization, internalization-commitment. Racial and cultural identity development models: Cross, Helms, Sue and Sue
Crystallize, specify, implement
Exploration-stage tasks. Super's life-span, life-space theory
Cultural encapsulation (Wrenn)
One cultural lens applied to everyone. Multicultural and social justice counseling competencies
Cultural Formulation Interview
DSM-5-TR; 16 questions on the client's understanding of the problem. The intake: biopsychosocial interview, presenting problem and cultural formulation
Cultural humility
Ongoing openness and self-examination about one's assumptions. The core attributes: genuineness, empathic responding, positive regard and respect
Ongoing self-evaluation; client as cultural expert. Multicultural and social justice counseling competencies
Culture-fair tests
Raven's, Cattell; none culture-free. Intelligence, aptitude and achievement tests: Wechsler, Stanford-Binet, and the rest
Cyclothymic disorder
Two years of subthreshold highs and lows. Depressive and bipolar disorders: criteria, distinctions and first-line treatment

D

DBT
Strongest evidence for borderline personality disorder. Psychotic, personality, neurodevelopmental, eating and sleep disorders
DBT modules
Mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness. Cognitive and behavioral therapies: Ellis, Beck, Meichenbaum
Delirium tremens
Life-threatening alcohol withdrawal; medical detox. Substance use and addictive disorders
Dependent t-test
Same people twice or matched pairs. Which test: t-test, ANOVA, chi-square, correlation and regression
Deviation IQ
Mean 100, SD 15. Norms, scales of measurement, standard scores and percentiles · Descriptive statistics: central tendency, variability, the normal curve
Differentiation
One type clearly dominates. Trait-factor theory, Parsons, and Holland's six types
Differentiation of self
Bowen: self from family; opposite is fusion. Family systems: Bowen, Minuchin, Satir, Haley and Whitaker
Disease model
Jellinek; chronic relapsing disease; abstinence goal. Substance use and addictive disorders
Disenfranchised grief
Loss not socially recognized (Doka). Grief, loss, divorce, adoption and family transitions
Disengagement vs. activity theory
Withdraw vs. stay engaged. Adult development and aging: Levinson, Havighurst, Kübler-Ross and the later years
Distractor
A wrong option built to be tempting. How to read an NCE item: FIRST, BEST, MOST and EXCEPT
DMDD
Severe outbursts and irritability in children; onset before ten. Depressive and bipolar disorders: criteria, distinctions and first-line treatment
Double depression
Major episode on top of persistent depressive disorder. Depressive and bipolar disorders: criteria, distinctions and first-line treatment
Double-blind
Neither participant nor experimenter knows condition. Research designs and threats to internal and external validity
Drawing out
Inviting quiet members. Leadership styles, co-leadership, member roles and problem behaviors
DSM-5-TR (2022)
Text revision; prolonged grief disorder added. Diagnosis, the DSM-5-TR and the mental status examination
Dual process model
Oscillation between loss- and restoration-oriented coping. Grief, loss, divorce, adoption and family transitions

E

Early / sustained remission
3-12 months / over 12 months. Substance use and addictive disorders
Early recollections
Adlerian assessment technique. Psychodynamic approaches: Freud, Adler and Jung
Empathy vs. sympathy
Understanding from inside / feeling sorry for. The core attributes: genuineness, empathic responding, positive regard and respect
Empty chair
Dialogue with an imagined other or part of self. Gestalt and experiential approaches: Perls and beyond
Enactment
Minuchin: act out the problem in session. Family systems: Bowen, Minuchin, Satir, Haley and Whitaker
Encounter
The triggering event that makes race salient. Racial and cultural identity development models: Cross, Helms, Sue and Sue
Enculturation
Learning one's own culture. Acculturation, worldview, and high- and low-context communication
Enmeshment / disengagement
Minuchin: diffuse / rigid boundaries. Family systems: Bowen, Minuchin, Satir, Haley and Whitaker
Ethical shortcut pattern
The convenient choice the Code forbids. How to read an NCE item: FIRST, BEST, MOST and EXCEPT
Ethnography
Culture through participant observation. Qualitative research and program evaluation
Etic vs. emic
Universal vs. culture-specific understanding. Multicultural and social justice counseling competencies
Ex post facto
Groups formed by what already happened. Research designs and threats to internal and external validity
EXCEPT / NOT
Three true, one false; mark each option T or F. How to read an NCE item: FIRST, BEST, MOST and EXCEPT
Exception / scaling questions
SFBT: when it does not happen / 0 to 10. Postmodern and brief approaches: solution-focused, narrative, motivational interviewing
Existential factors
Responsibility; aloneness. Yalom's eleven therapeutic factors
Explanatory model
The client's account of what causes the problem. The intake: biopsychosocial interview, presenting problem and cultural formulation
Exposure and response prevention
First-line treatment for OCD. Anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and trauma- and stressor-related disorders
Extending boundaries
Beneficial nonprofessional interaction, documented in advance. Boundaries, multiple relationships, gifts, and ending the relationship
Externalizing
Narrative: the problem is the problem, not the person. Postmodern and brief approaches: solution-focused, narrative, motivational interviewing
Extinction burst
Temporary increase when reinforcement stops. Behavioral techniques: desensitization, reinforcement, token economies
Extreme response pattern
Hospitalize, terminate or report when assess, discuss or consult is correct. How to read an NCE item: FIRST, BEST, MOST and EXCEPT

F

Feedback-informed treatment
Adjust the work based on session scores. Barriers, monitoring progress, revising the plan and referral
Feminist therapy principles
Personal is political; egalitarian relationship; social change. Gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion and age: what the exam asks
FERPA
Education records; parent and adult-student access. Technology, social media, records and HIPAA
Fidelity
Keep promises; loyalty. The ACA Code of Ethics: structure, purposes and the six moral principles
FIRST
Sequence, not importance; usually safety, relationship or assessment. How to read an NCE item: FIRST, BEST, MOST and EXCEPT
Five basic needs
Survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, fun. Reality therapy and choice theory: Glasser
Five-year rule
No sexual relationship with former clients for five years; then only with documented justification. Boundaries, multiple relationships, gifts, and ending the relationship
Flooding
Prolonged exposure to the most feared stimulus. Behavioral techniques: desensitization, reinforcement, token economies
Fluid vs. crystallized
Declines vs. holds with age. Adult development and aging: Levinson, Havighurst, Kübler-Ross and the later years
Forester-Miller & Davis
ACA practitioner's guide; seven-step model. Ethical decision-making models, colleague misconduct, and supervision
Formative vs. summative
During, to improve / after, to judge. Qualitative research and program evaluation
Forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning
Tuckman; adjourning added 1977. Group stages: Tuckman, Corey and Yalom
Four givens (Yalom)
Death, freedom, isolation, meaninglessness. Humanistic and existential: Rogers, Maslow, May, Frankl, Yalom
Four leader functions
Lieberman, Yalom, Miles: stimulation, caring, meaning attribution, executive. Leadership styles, co-leadership, member roles and problem behaviors

G

GAD
Worry across domains, six months, three of six physical symptoms. Anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and trauma- and stressor-related disorders
Gardner
Multiple intelligences. Intelligence, aptitude and achievement tests: Wechsler, Stanford-Binet, and the rest
Gatekeeping
Supervisor's duty to screen unfit trainees. Ethical decision-making models, colleague misconduct, and supervision
Generativity vs. stagnation
Middle adult; care. Freud's psychosexual and Erikson's psychosocial stages
Genogram
Three-generation family map with relationship lines. The intake: biopsychosocial interview, presenting problem and cultural formulation
Three-generation family map. Family systems: Bowen, Minuchin, Satir, Haley and Whitaker
Gilligan
Ethic of care: survival, self-sacrifice, nonviolence. Moral development: Kohlberg, Gilligan and Rest
Ginzberg
Fantasy, tentative, realistic; first developmental theory. Gottfredson, Roe, Ginzberg and Tiedeman
Goal
Broad outcome, in the client's language, chosen by the client. From case formulation to treatment plan: problems, goals, objectives, interventions
Grounded theory
Theory built from data; constant comparison. Qualitative research and program evaluation
Group think (Janis)
Conformity suppresses dissent. Yalom's eleven therapeutic factors
Growth, Exploration, Establishment, Maintenance, Disengagement
Birth-14, 15-24, 25-44, 45-64, 65+. Super's life-span, life-space theory

H

Hallucination / delusion / illusion
False perception / false belief / misperception. Diagnosis, the DSM-5-TR and the mental status examination
Halo effect
General impression biases specific ratings. Personality and clinical instruments: MMPI, MBTI, projective tests, BDI
Harm reduction
Reduce damage where use continues. Substance use and addictive disorders
Hawthorne effect
Change from being observed. Research designs and threats to internal and external validity
Heinz dilemma
Kohlberg's scoring vignette; reasoning, not the answer. Moral development: Kohlberg, Gilligan and Rest
Helms
Contact, disintegration, reintegration, pseudo-independence, immersion-emersion, autonomy. Racial and cultural identity development models: Cross, Helms, Sue and Sue
Here and now
Gestalt's time focus; awareness over insight. Gestalt and experiential approaches: Perls and beyond
High-context (Hall)
Meaning in relationship and nonverbals. Acculturation, worldview, and high- and low-context communication
HIPAA
Federal rules on protected health information. Confidentiality, privileged communication, and the duty to warn and protect
Federal privacy rule for covered entities; minimum necessary. Technology, social media, records and HIPAA
History / maturation / mortality
Outside event / natural change / dropout. Research designs and threats to internal and external validity
Homeostasis
System keeps its balance; symptoms may serve it. Family systems: Bowen, Minuchin, Satir, Haley and Whitaker
Hypomanic episode
Four days, no marked impairment or psychosis. Depressive and bipolar disorders: criteria, distinctions and first-line treatment

I

I-Thou (Buber)
Authentic encounter. Humanistic and existential: Rogers, Maslow, May, Frankl, Yalom
IC-IR
Internal control, internal responsibility: the dominant U.S. worldview. Multicultural and social justice counseling competencies
ICD
WHO classification; billing codes. Diagnosis, the DSM-5-TR and the mental status examination
Id, ego, superego
Pleasure, reality, morality. Psychodynamic approaches: Freud, Adler and Jung
Identity
Clear, stable goals and interests; My Vocational Situation. Trait-factor theory, Parsons, and Holland's six types
Identity vs. role confusion
Adolescence; fidelity. Freud's psychosexual and Erikson's psychosocial stages
Idiom of distress
Culturally shaped way of expressing suffering. The intake: biopsychosocial interview, presenting problem and cultural formulation
Imaginary audience, personal fable
Elkind's adolescent egocentrism. Cognitive development: Piaget, Vygotsky and information processing
Immediacy
Discussing the here-and-now relationship. The helping relationship: core conditions, microskills and stages of counseling
Commenting on the here-and-now of the relationship. The core attributes: genuineness, empathic responding, positive regard and respect
Imprinting
Lorenz: critical periods. Attachment: Bowlby, Ainsworth and the Strange Situation
Independent / dependent variable
Manipulated / measured. Research designs and threats to internal and external validity
Independent t-test
Two different groups, one measure. Which test: t-test, ANOVA, chi-square, correlation and regression
Individuation
Jung: integration into wholeness. Psychodynamic approaches: Freud, Adler and Jung
Industry vs. inferiority
6-12; competence. Freud's psychosexual and Erikson's psychosocial stages
Informal resolution
First step with a colleague's suspected violation. Ethical decision-making models, colleague misconduct, and supervision
Informed consent
Ongoing process of ensuring the client understands and agrees to services. Informed consent and professional disclosure
Initial stage
Corey: inclusion, trust, norms. Group stages: Tuckman, Corey and Yalom
Initiative vs. guilt
3-6; purpose. Freud's psychosexual and Erikson's psychosocial stages
Institutional racism
Unequal outcomes from policies and practices, regardless of individual intent. Privilege, oppression, microaggressions, and the ACA Advocacy Competencies
Instrumental vs. associative learning
From consequences vs. from observation or pairing. Krumboltz, social cognitive career theory, and planned happenstance
Integrity vs. despair
Late adult; wisdom. Freud's psychosexual and Erikson's psychosocial stages
Internal working model
Template of self and others from early attachment. Attachment: Bowlby, Ainsworth and the Strange Situation
Interpersonal learning
Feedback and new behavior; often rated most important. Yalom's eleven therapeutic factors
Intersectionality (Crenshaw)
Combined identities produce distinct experiences. Privilege, oppression, microaggressions, and the ACA Advocacy Competencies
Intervention
What the counselor does; tied to theory and evidence. From case formulation to treatment plan: problems, goals, objectives, interventions
Intimacy vs. isolation
Young adult; love. Freud's psychosexual and Erikson's psychosocial stages
Introjection, projection, retroflection, deflection, confluence
The five contact boundary disturbances. Gestalt and experiential approaches: Perls and beyond
IRB
Reviews research with human participants. Qualitative research and program evaluation
Item difficulty (p)
Proportion correct; .50 maximizes variance. Test selection, administration, interpretation and fairness

J

Justice
Fairness; equal treatment. The ACA Code of Ethics: structure, purposes and the six moral principles

K

Kitchener
Five moral principles underlying ethical reasoning. Ethical decision-making models, colleague misconduct, and supervision
Krumboltz's four factors
Genetics, environment, learning experiences, task-approach skills. Krumboltz, social cognitive career theory, and planned happenstance
Kübler-Ross
Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance; not sequential. Grief, loss, divorce, adoption and family transitions
Kuder
Forced-choice triads. Career assessment instruments and information resources (O*NET, SII, MBTI, SDS)

L

Lapse vs. relapse
Single slip vs. return to the old pattern. Termination, relapse prevention and follow-up
Larry P. v. Riles
IQ tests and special education placement. Test selection, administration, interpretation and fairness
Layers of neurosis
Phony, phobic, impasse, implosive, explosive. Gestalt and experiential approaches: Perls and beyond
Learned helplessness (Seligman)
Giving up after uncontrollable aversive events. Learning: classical and operant conditioning, Bandura, and behavior change
Least restrictive
Lowest level of care that safely meets the need. From case formulation to treatment plan: problems, goals, objectives, interventions
Level A, B, C
Publisher qualification levels; Wechsler and MMPI are C. Test selection, administration, interpretation and fairness
Levels of care
Outpatient, IOP, PHP, residential, inpatient. From case formulation to treatment plan: problems, goals, objectives, interventions
Levinson
Eras and transitions; midlife transition 40-45; the dream. Adult development and aging: Levinson, Havighurst, Kübler-Ross and the later years
Lewin's change model
Unfreeze, move, refreeze. Consultation models: Caplan, Schein, and behavioral consultation
Licensure
State-granted legal permission to practice; mandatory. The counseling profession: history, credentials and who regulates what
Life-Career Rainbow
Nine roles, four theaters. Super's life-span, life-space theory
Linking
Connecting members' experiences. Leadership styles, co-leadership, member roles and problem behaviors
Lithium
Mood stabilizer; requires blood monitoring. Diagnosis, the DSM-5-TR and the mental status examination
Location verification
Confirm where the client is at each session; laws of that state apply. Technology, social media, records and HIPAA
Logotherapy (Frankl)
Will to meaning; paradoxical intention; dereflection. Humanistic and existential: Rogers, Maslow, May, Frankl, Yalom
Low-context
Meaning in explicit words. Acculturation, worldview, and high- and low-context communication

M

Mandated client
Referred by court or agency; still entitled to informed consent. Informed consent and professional disclosure
Mandated report
Suspected abuse of a child, elder or dependent adult. Confidentiality, privileged communication, and the duty to warn and protect
Mandated reporting
Reasonable suspicion, not proof; do not investigate. Children and adolescents: bullying, abuse, school problems and self-harm
Manic episode
One week, elevated or irritable mood, three or more symptoms, impairment. Depressive and bipolar disorders: criteria, distinctions and first-line treatment
Marcia's statuses
Diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, achievement. Adult development and aging: Levinson, Havighurst, Kübler-Ross and the later years
Maslow's hierarchy
Physiological to self-actualization; deficiency vs. growth. Humanistic and existential: Rogers, Maslow, May, Frankl, Yalom
MAT
Methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone for opioids. Substance use and addictive disorders
Maxicycle / minicycle
Whole life / recycling at a transition. Super's life-span, life-space theory
MBTI
Jungian types; not pathology or ability. Personality and clinical instruments: MMPI, MBTI, projective tests, BDI
Four Jungian dichotomies, 16 types; not ability. Career assessment instruments and information resources (O*NET, SII, MBTI, SDS)
MDD
Five of nine symptoms, two weeks, one is mood or anhedonia. Depressive and bipolar disorders: criteria, distinctions and first-line treatment
Means restriction
Reducing access to lethal methods. Crisis intervention, trauma, and suicide risk assessment
Median
Preferred center for skewed data. Descriptive statistics: central tendency, variability, the normal curve
Member checking
Participants verify interpretations. Qualitative research and program evaluation
Meta-analysis
Combines effect sizes across studies. Which test: t-test, ANOVA, chi-square, correlation and regression
Microinsult / microinvalidation
Insensitive remark / dismissal of experience. Privilege, oppression, microaggressions, and the ACA Advocacy Competencies
Microskills (Ivey)
Attending, questions, encouragers, paraphrase, reflection, summary. The helping relationship: core conditions, microskills and stages of counseling
Minority stress (Meyer)
Stigma, not identity, drives elevated risk. Gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion and age: what the exam asks
Miracle question
SFBT: imagine the problem gone tomorrow. Postmodern and brief approaches: solution-focused, narrative, motivational interviewing
MMPI
Objective psychopathology; L, F, K validity scales; T-scores. Personality and clinical instruments: MMPI, MBTI, projective tests, BDI
Monopolizer
Dominates; block, link, explore. Leadership styles, co-leadership, member roles and problem behaviors
Mood stabilizers
Lithium, valproate, lamotrigine; foundation for bipolar treatment. Depressive and bipolar disorders: criteria, distinctions and first-line treatment
Mood vs. affect
Reported feeling vs. observed expression. Diagnosis, the DSM-5-TR and the mental status examination
MOST likely
Diagnosis or prediction; the deciding detail is usually a duration or a single feature. How to read an NCE item: FIRST, BEST, MOST and EXCEPT
MSJCC (Ratts et al., 2015)
Four domains; adds the counseling relationship and action. Multicultural and social justice counseling competencies
Multiple regression
Several predictors, one criterion. Which test: t-test, ANOVA, chi-square, correlation and regression
Musturbation
Ellis: absolutist demands. Cognitive and behavioral therapies: Ellis, Beck, Meichenbaum

N

Naloxone
Reverses opioid overdose. Substance use and addictive disorders
Needs assessment
Gap between what is and what is needed. Qualitative research and program evaluation
Negative reinforcement
Remove something unpleasant to increase behavior. Not punishment. Learning: classical and operant conditioning, Bandura, and behavior change
Neglect
Most common form of maltreatment. Children and adolescents: bullying, abuse, school problems and self-harm
NEO-PI
Big Five; normal personality. Personality and clinical instruments: MMPI, MBTI, projective tests, BDI
NOIR
Nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio. Norms, scales of measurement, standard scores and percentiles · Descriptive statistics: central tendency, variability, the normal curve
Nonmaleficence
Do no harm; often treated as the first principle. The ACA Code of Ethics: structure, purposes and the six moral principles
Nonparametric
Nominal/ordinal; chi-square, Mann-Whitney, Spearman. Inferential statistics: hypothesis testing, Type I and II errors, effect size
Norm- vs. criterion-referenced
Compared to a group vs. to a standard. Norms, scales of measurement, standard scores and percentiles
NSSI
Self-injury without suicidal intent; raises suicide risk. Children and adolescents: bullying, abuse, school problems and self-harm

O

O*NET
Replaced the DOT; Department of Labor. Career assessment instruments and information resources (O*NET, SII, MBTI, SDS)
OARS
MI: open questions, affirmations, reflections, summaries. Postmodern and brief approaches: solution-focused, narrative, motivational interviewing
Object permanence
Sensorimotor achievement, about 8 months. Cognitive development: Piaget, Vygotsky and information processing
Object relations
Klein, Winnicott, Mahler, Kohut. Psychodynamic approaches: Freud, Adler and Jung
Objective
Measurable step toward a goal. From case formulation to treatment plan: problems, goals, objectives, interventions
Occupational Outlook Handbook
Bureau of Labor Statistics; outlook and pay. Career assessment instruments and information resources (O*NET, SII, MBTI, SDS)
OCD
Obsessions or compulsions, over an hour a day or impairing. Anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and trauma- and stressor-related disorders
ODD vs. conduct disorder
Defiance and anger / violation of others' rights. Children and adolescents: bullying, abuse, school problems and self-harm
Olweus program
Whole-school climate approach; the evidence-based model. Children and adolescents: bullying, abuse, school problems and self-harm
One-way ANOVA
Three or more groups; F-test. Which test: t-test, ANOVA, chi-square, correlation and regression
Open vs. closed
Rolling membership vs. fixed. Types of groups: task, psychoeducational, counseling, psychotherapy (ASGW)
OQ-45
Outcome Questionnaire; 45 items; tracks distress and functioning. Barriers, monitoring progress, revising the plan and referral
Oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital
Freud's stages; fixation results from unresolved conflict. Freud's psychosexual and Erikson's psychosocial stages

P

p-value
Probability of the data if the null is true. Inferential statistics: hypothesis testing, Type I and II errors, effect size
Panic disorder
Unexpected attacks plus one month of worry or avoidance. Anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and trauma- and stressor-related disorders
Papernow's stages
Stepfamily development from fantasy to resolution. Grief, loss, divorce, adoption and family transitions
Paradoxical directive
Haley: prescribing the symptom. Family systems: Bowen, Minuchin, Satir, Haley and Whitaker
Parameter / statistic
Describes population / sample. Inferential statistics: hypothesis testing, Type I and II errors, effect size
Parametric
Interval/ratio, normal; t, ANOVA, Pearson. Inferential statistics: hypothesis testing, Type I and II errors, effect size
Parentification
Child takes on an adult role. Grief, loss, divorce, adoption and family transitions
Parsons (1908, 1909)
Trait-and-factor: know self, know work, true reasoning. Trait-factor theory, Parsons, and Holland's six types
Parsons, 1908
Vocation Bureau; father of the guidance movement. The counseling profession: history, credentials and who regulates what
PCL-5
PTSD checklist for DSM-5. Screening for risk and substance use: the instruments and the questions
Pearson r / Spearman rho
Interval-ratio / ranked data. Which test: t-test, ANOVA, chi-square, correlation and regression
Percentile rank
Percent at or below; not equal-interval. Descriptive statistics: central tendency, variability, the normal curve
Persistent depressive disorder
Two years adults, one year youth; chronic low-grade. Depressive and bipolar disorders: criteria, distinctions and first-line treatment
Phenomenology
Lived experience; bracketing. Qualitative research and program evaluation
Phinney
Unexamined, search, achieved. Racial and cultural identity development models: Cross, Helms, Sue and Sue
PHQ-9 / GAD-7
Depression 0-27 / anxiety 0-21 screens. Screening for risk and substance use: the instruments and the questions
Brief public-domain screeners. Personality and clinical instruments: MMPI, MBTI, projective tests, BDI
Planned happenstance
Curiosity, persistence, flexibility, optimism, risk taking. Krumboltz, social cognitive career theory, and planned happenstance
Positive punishment
Add something unpleasant to decrease behavior. Learning: classical and operant conditioning, Bandura, and behavior change
Positive skew
Tail right; mode < median < mean. Norms, scales of measurement, standard scores and percentiles
Tail right; mean > median > mode. Descriptive statistics: central tendency, variability, the normal curve
Positive vs. negative symptoms
Added experiences vs. diminished functions. Diagnosis, the DSM-5-TR and the mental status examination
Post hoc tests
Tukey, Scheffé, Bonferroni; which groups differ. Which test: t-test, ANOVA, chi-square, correlation and regression
Postconventional
Stages 5-6: social contract and universal principles. Moral development: Kohlberg, Gilligan and Rest
Postvention
School response after a suicide to prevent contagion. Children and adolescents: bullying, abuse, school problems and self-harm
Power
1 − beta; .80 conventional. Inferential statistics: hypothesis testing, Type I and II errors, effect size
Pratt (1905)
First group therapy, TB patients. Types of groups: task, psychoeducational, counseling, psychotherapy (ASGW)
Precipitating / predisposing / perpetuating
Why now / vulnerability / what maintains it. The intake: biopsychosocial interview, presenting problem and cultural formulation
Preconventional
Stages 1-2: punishment and self-interest. Moral development: Kohlberg, Gilligan and Rest
Premature termination
Client ends before goals are met; reach out, document, refer. Termination, relapse prevention and follow-up
Presenting problem
The client's stated concern, in their words. The intake: biopsychosocial interview, presenting problem and cultural formulation
Pretermination counseling
Preparing the client for the end of services. Boundaries, multiple relationships, gifts, and ending the relationship
Primary vs. additive empathy
Reflects what was said / names what is implied. The core attributes: genuineness, empathic responding, positive regard and respect
Prior attempt
Strongest single predictor of suicide. Crisis intervention, trauma, and suicide risk assessment
Privilege (McIntosh)
Unearned, often invisible advantage. Privilege, oppression, microaggressions, and the ACA Advocacy Competencies
Privilege in groups
Often does not extend to statements before others. Screening, informed consent, confidentiality and ethics in groups
Privileged communication
Legal right, belongs to the client, exists by statute. Confidentiality, privileged communication, and the duty to warn and protect
Problem statement
Behavioral and specific, not a diagnosis label. From case formulation to treatment plan: problems, goals, objectives, interventions
Process illumination
Commenting on how members relate. Group stages: Tuckman, Corey and Yalom
Professional disclosure statement
Written description of credentials, fees, confidentiality, complaint process. Informed consent and professional disclosure
Prolonged grief disorder
Twelve months after death in adults; six in children. Anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and trauma- and stressor-related disorders
Psychodrama (Moreno)
Protagonist, auxiliary egos, director, audience. Gestalt and experiential approaches: Perls and beyond
Psychoeducational group
Structured; teaches skills and information. Types of groups: task, psychoeducational, counseling, psychotherapy (ASGW)
Psychological first aid
Disaster response standard; eight core actions. Crisis intervention, trauma, and suicide risk assessment
Psychotherapy group
Remediation; deeper, longer. Types of groups: task, psychoeducational, counseling, psychotherapy (ASGW)
Psychotherapy notes
Separate process notes; extra protection under HIPAA. Technology, social media, records and HIPAA
PTSD
Four clusters, more than one month. Anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and trauma- and stressor-related disorders
PTSD clusters
Intrusion, avoidance, negative cognition and mood, arousal. Crisis intervention, trauma, and suicide risk assessment

Q

Qualifier
The word that controls the answer: FIRST, BEST, MOST, EXCEPT, NOT, INITIAL, PRIMARY. How to read an NCE item: FIRST, BEST, MOST and EXCEPT
Qualitative
Meaning in context; inductive; purposeful sample. Qualitative research and program evaluation
Quality world
Pictures of what satisfies our needs. Reality therapy and choice theory: Glasser
Quasi-experiment
Manipulation without random assignment. Research designs and threats to internal and external validity

R

r squared
Proportion of variance shared. Which test: t-test, ANOVA, chi-square, correlation and regression
R/CID (Sue & Sue)
Conformity, dissonance, resistance-immersion, introspection, integrative awareness. Racial and cultural identity development models: Cross, Helms, Sue and Sue
Random assignment
To conditions; permits causal claims. Research designs and threats to internal and external validity
Random selection
From the population; permits generalization. Research designs and threats to internal and external validity
Ratio IQ (Stern)
MA / CA × 100; replaced by deviation IQ. Intelligence, aptitude and achievement tests: Wechsler, Stanford-Binet, and the rest
Records custodian
Named person who handles records if the counselor cannot. Technology, social media, records and HIPAA
Referral
A process with options, a release, and continuity until transfer. Barriers, monitoring progress, revising the plan and referral
Relapse prevention
Marlatt and Gordon; plan for high-risk situations and warning signs. Termination, relapse prevention and follow-up
Rest's four components
Sensitivity, judgment, motivation, character. Moral development: Kohlberg, Gilligan and Rest
Revision
Documented, collaborative change to the plan. Barriers, monitoring progress, revising the plan and referral
RIASEC
Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional. Trait-factor theory, Parsons, and Holland's six types
Right to leave
Discussed in the group when possible. Screening, informed consent, confidentiality and ethics in groups
Roberts's seven stages
Lethality, rapport, problems, feelings, alternatives, plan, follow-up. Crisis intervention, trauma, and suicide risk assessment
Roe
Early family climate; person vs. non-person orientation. Gottfredson, Roe, Ginzberg and Tiedeman
Rorschach, TAT
Projective; Level C. Personality and clinical instruments: MMPI, MBTI, projective tests, BDI
Routine outcome monitoring
Brief measures every session; reviewed with the client. Barriers, monitoring progress, revising the plan and referral
RUST
Responsibilities of Users of Standardized Tests. Test selection, administration, interpretation and fairness

S

Safety plan
Collaborative written plan; replaces no-suicide contracts. Screening for risk and substance use: the instruments and the questions
Safety plan (Stanley & Brown)
Replaces no-suicide contracts. Crisis intervention, trauma, and suicide risk assessment
SAMHSA principles
Six principles of trauma-informed care. Crisis intervention, trauma, and suicide risk assessment
Savickas's 4 Cs
Concern, control, curiosity, confidence. Gottfredson, Roe, Ginzberg and Tiedeman
SBIRT
Screening, brief intervention, referral to treatment. Screening for risk and substance use: the instruments and the questions
Scaffolding
Support in the zone, withdrawn over time. Cognitive development: Piaget, Vygotsky and information processing
Scapegoating
Hostility toward one member; block immediately. Leadership styles, co-leadership, member roles and problem behaviors
SCCT (Lent, Brown, Hackett)
Self-efficacy, outcome expectations, goals. Krumboltz, social cognitive career theory, and planned happenstance
Schein's models
Purchase of expertise, doctor-patient, process consultation. Consultation models: Caplan, Schein, and behavioral consultation
Schizoaffective
Mood episode plus two weeks of psychosis without mood symptoms. Psychotic, personality, neurodevelopmental, eating and sleep disorders
Schizoid vs. avoidant
Does not want relationships / wants but fears them. Psychotic, personality, neurodevelopmental, eating and sleep disorders
Schizophrenia
Six months total, one month active, two of five symptoms. Psychotic, personality, neurodevelopmental, eating and sleep disorders
Schizophreniform / brief psychotic
One to six months / one day to one month. Psychotic, personality, neurodevelopmental, eating and sleep disorders
Schlossberg's 4 S's
Situation, self, support, strategies. Gottfredson, Roe, Ginzberg and Tiedeman
School refusal vs. truancy
Anxious and known to parents / concealed and not anxious. Children and adolescents: bullying, abuse, school problems and self-harm
SCID
Structured diagnostic interview. Personality and clinical instruments: MMPI, MBTI, projective tests, BDI
Screening vs. assessment
Brief, universal, sensitive / longer, targeted, specific. Screening for risk and substance use: the instruments and the questions
Section E
ACA Code on evaluation, assessment and interpretation. Test selection, administration, interpretation and fairness
Section G
ACA Code on research and publication. Qualitative research and program evaluation
Section H
ACA Code: distance counseling, technology and social media. Technology, social media, records and HIPAA
Secure base / safe haven
Bowlby: explore from, return to. Attachment: Bowlby, Ainsworth and the Strange Situation
Secure, avoidant, ambivalent, disorganized
The four classifications; disorganized from Main and Solomon. Attachment: Bowlby, Ainsworth and the Strange Situation
Self-concept implementation
Super's core idea: work expresses who you are. Super's life-span, life-space theory
Self-Directed Search
Holland's self-scored inventory; three-letter code. Trait-factor theory, Parsons, and Holland's six types
Self-efficacy (Bandura)
Belief in one's ability to perform a task. Learning: classical and operant conditioning, Bandura, and behavior change
Self-evaluation
The E in WDEP; the key step. Reality therapy and choice theory: Glasser
Self-help group
Peer-led; not run by a counselor. Types of groups: task, psychoeducational, counseling, psychotherapy (ASGW)
Self-reflective loop
Yalom: interact, then reflect on the interaction. Group stages: Tuckman, Corey and Yalom
SEM
SD × √(1 − reliability); confidence bands. Reliability and validity: every type the exam names
Semi-structured interview
Set domains, flexible order; the agency default. The intake: biopsychosocial interview, presenting problem and cultural formulation
Seven core issues in adoption
Loss, rejection, guilt/shame, grief, identity, intimacy, control. Grief, loss, divorce, adoption and family transitions
Seven deadly habits
Criticize, blame, complain, nag, threaten, punish, bribe. Reality therapy and choice theory: Glasser
SMART
Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound. From case formulation to treatment plan: problems, goals, objectives, interventions
SOAP / DAP
Note formats: subjective-objective-assessment-plan; data-assessment-plan. Technology, social media, records and HIPAA
Social clock (Neugarten)
Cultural timetable; off-time stress. Adult development and aging: Levinson, Havighurst, Kübler-Ross and the later years
Social constructionism
Reality built in language; client as expert. Postmodern and brief approaches: solution-focused, narrative, motivational interviewing
Social interest
Adler's marker of mental health. Psychodynamic approaches: Freud, Adler and Jung
Social media policy
Part of informed consent; separate personal and professional presence. Technology, social media, records and HIPAA
SOLER
Egan's attending posture. The helping relationship: core conditions, microskills and stages of counseling
Solomon four-group
Detects pretest sensitization. Research designs and threats to internal and external validity
Spearman-Brown
Corrects split-half reliability upward. Reliability and validity: every type the exam names
Spearman's g
General factor. Intelligence, aptitude and achievement tests: Wechsler, Stanford-Binet, and the rest
Stages of change
Match the plan to the client's readiness. Barriers, monitoring progress, revising the plan and referral
Precontemplation through maintenance. Postmodern and brief approaches: solution-focused, narrative, motivational interviewing
Standard deviation
Square root of the variance. Descriptive statistics: central tendency, variability, the normal curve
Standards for Testing
AERA, APA, NCME. Test selection, administration, interpretation and fairness
Stanine
1-9, mean 5, SD 2. Norms, scales of measurement, standard scores and percentiles
Nine bands, mean 5. Descriptive statistics: central tendency, variability, the normal curve
Stem
The question part of an item, often a vignette plus a question sentence. How to read an NCE item: FIRST, BEST, MOST and EXCEPT
Stereotype threat (Steele)
Fear of confirming a stereotype impairs performance. Privilege, oppression, microaggressions, and the ACA Advocacy Competencies
Sternberg
Analytical, creative, practical. Intelligence, aptitude and achievement tests: Wechsler, Stanford-Binet, and the rest
Strange Situation
Ainsworth's procedure at 12-18 months. Attachment: Bowlby, Ainsworth and the Strange Situation
Stratified sampling
Proportional from subgroups. Inferential statistics: hypothesis testing, Type I and II errors, effect size
Stress inoculation
Meichenbaum: conceptualize, acquire skills, apply. Cognitive and behavioral therapies: Ellis, Beck, Meichenbaum
Strong Interest Inventory
Compares to satisfied workers; Holland themes. Career assessment instruments and information resources (O*NET, SII, MBTI, SDS)
Style of life
Adler: pattern formed by age 5-6. Psychodynamic approaches: Freud, Adler and Jung
Subpoena
A request; consult before releasing anything. Confidentiality, privileged communication, and the duty to warn and protect
Subpoena vs. court order
A subpoena alone does not compel disclosure; assert privilege. Technology, social media, records and HIPAA
Substance use disorder severity
Mild 2-3, moderate 4-5, severe 6+ of eleven criteria. Substance use and addictive disorders
Sue, Arredondo & McDavis (1992)
Three dimensions: awareness of self, client worldview, appropriate interventions. Multicultural and social justice counseling competencies
Systematic desensitization
Wolpe: relaxation plus a hierarchy; reciprocal inhibition. Behavioral techniques: desensitization, reinforcement, token economies

T

T-groups (Lewin, NTL 1947)
Training groups for interpersonal awareness. Types of groups: task, psychoeducational, counseling, psychotherapy (ASGW)
T-score
Mean 50, SD 10; MMPI. Norms, scales of measurement, standard scores and percentiles
Mean 50, SD 10. Descriptive statistics: central tendency, variability, the normal curve
Tapering
Spacing sessions further apart before ending. Termination, relapse prevention and follow-up
Tarasoff (1976)
Duty to protect an identifiable third party. Confidentiality, privileged communication, and the duty to warn and protect
Task group
Accomplishes a goal; committees, teams. Types of groups: task, psychoeducational, counseling, psychotherapy (ASGW)
Terman (1916)
Stanford-Binet. Intelligence, aptitude and achievement tests: Wechsler, Stanford-Binet, and the rest
Termination
Planned ending when goals are met, benefit stops, or the client requests it. Termination, relapse prevention and follow-up
Test bias vs. fairness
Systematic error vs. equitable use. Test selection, administration, interpretation and fairness
Test-retest
Same test, two times; stability. Reliability and validity: every type the exam names
Theme interference
Caplan: consultee's loss of objectivity. Consultation models: Caplan, Schein, and behavioral consultation
Theory of mind
Others have different beliefs; about age 4. Cognitive development: Piaget, Vygotsky and information processing
Thought process vs. content
How thinking flows vs. what it contains. Diagnosis, the DSM-5-TR and the mental status examination
Tiedeman & O'Hara
Anticipation and implementation; ego identity. Gottfredson, Roe, Ginzberg and Tiedeman
Time-out
Negative punishment: removal from reinforcement. Behavioral techniques: desensitization, reinforcement, token economies
Token economy
Tokens exchanged for reinforcers. Behavioral techniques: desensitization, reinforcement, token economies
Tolerance / withdrawal
Pharmacological criteria; not counted for prescribed use. Substance use and addictive disorders
Top dog / underdog
Polarities integrated in chair work. Gestalt and experiential approaches: Perls and beyond
Total behavior
Acting, thinking, feeling, physiology; control the first two. Reality therapy and choice theory: Glasser
Training Standards
Core plus specialization; supervised hours. Screening, informed consent, confidentiality and ethics in groups
Transference
Client's past feelings projected onto the counselor. Psychodynamic approaches: Freud, Adler and Jung
Transition stage
Corey: anxiety, resistance, conflict, testing the leader. Group stages: Tuckman, Corey and Yalom
Trauma-focused therapies
Prolonged exposure, CPT, TF-CBT, EMDR. Anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and trauma- and stressor-related disorders
Treatment plan
Problems, goals, objectives, interventions, frequency, discharge criteria. From case formulation to treatment plan: problems, goals, objectives, interventions
Triadic
Consultant, consultee, client. Consultation models: Caplan, Schein, and behavioral consultation
Triangulation
Multiple sources or methods converge. Qualitative research and program evaluation
Bowen: third party pulled in to reduce anxiety. Family systems: Bowen, Minuchin, Satir, Haley and Whitaker
Trust vs. mistrust
Erikson 0-1; hope. Freud's psychosexual and Erikson's psychosocial stages
Trustworthiness
Credibility, transferability, dependability, confirmability. Qualitative research and program evaluation
Type I error
Reject a true null; false positive. Inferential statistics: hypothesis testing, Type I and II errors, effect size
Type II error
Retain a false null; false negative; beta. Inferential statistics: hypothesis testing, Type I and II errors, effect size

U

Unconditional positive regard
Acceptance without conditions of worth; not approval of every act. The core attributes: genuineness, empathic responding, positive regard and respect
Unfinished business
Unexpressed past feelings intruding on the present. Gestalt and experiential approaches: Perls and beyond
Unique outcomes
Narrative: exceptions that seed a new story. Postmodern and brief approaches: solution-focused, narrative, motivational interviewing
Universality
Not alone; same boat. Yalom's eleven therapeutic factors

V

Values-based referral
Prohibited; competence is the only ground. Barriers, monitoring progress, revising the plan and referral
Variable ratio
Highest, most extinction-resistant response rate. Learning: classical and operant conditioning, Bandura, and behavior change
Veracity
Truthfulness. The ACA Code of Ethics: structure, purposes and the six moral principles
Virginia, 1976
First state to license counselors. The counseling profession: history, credentials and who regulates what

W

WDEP
Wants, Doing, Evaluation, Planning (Wubbolding). Reality therapy and choice theory: Glasser
Wernicke-Korsakoff
Thiamine-deficiency brain damage from chronic alcohol use. Substance use and addictive disorders
Wheel of Wellness
Myers, Sweeney, Witmer; counseling's wellness model. The helping relationship: core conditions, microskills and stages of counseling
Worden's tasks
Accept, process, adjust, find enduring connection. Grief, loss, divorce, adoption and family transitions
Accept, process, adjust, reconnect. Adult development and aging: Levinson, Havighurst, Kübler-Ross and the later years
Working alliance (Bordin)
Goals, tasks, bond. The helping relationship: core conditions, microskills and stages of counseling
Working stage
Cohesion, risk, feedback, here-and-now. Group stages: Tuckman, Corey and Yalom
WPPSI / WISC / WAIS
Preschool / 6-16 / 16+. Intelligence, aptitude and achievement tests: Wechsler, Stanford-Binet, and the rest
Wrong sequence pattern
A right action offered too early. How to read an NCE item: FIRST, BEST, MOST and EXCEPT
Wrong theorist pattern
A genuine concept attributed to the wrong name. How to read an NCE item: FIRST, BEST, MOST and EXCEPT

Z

z-score
(X − mean) / SD; mean 0, SD 1. Norms, scales of measurement, standard scores and percentiles
Mean 0, SD 1. Descriptive statistics: central tendency, variability, the normal curve
Zone of proximal development
Vygotsky: what a child can do with help. Cognitive development: Piaget, Vygotsky and information processing