AMFTRB MFT National Exam key terms

The idea that events in a family loop back on one another so each person's behavior both triggers and responds to the behavior of others, rather than one person being the single cause of a problem.

Explaining a problem as a one-way chain in which A causes B, with one person or event treated as the source of the difficulty. Family systems thinkers view this as incomplete.

A repeating cycle in which the output of a system becomes input that influences its next round of behavior. Negative feedback reduces change and maintains stability; positive feedback amplifies change.

A family system's tendency to keep its usual patterns and balance by resisting change, even when those patterns are painful, because they are familiar and predictable.

Adjustment within an existing system that alters how much or how often something happens without changing the underlying rules or structure of the family.

A shift in the system's underlying rules or structure itself, so the family reorganizes and the problem can no longer exist in its prior form.

A pattern in which tension between two people is deflected by pulling in a third person, who becomes part of the conflict or is recruited to take sides.

Bowen's concept describing the capacity to stay emotionally connected to others while maintaining separate thoughts and feelings, and to resist being swept up by family anxiety.

Bowen's idea that patterns of relating, levels of anxiety, and degrees of differentiation are passed down across generations, so problems often echo earlier family history.

A structural therapy technique in which the therapist invites family members to talk and behave with each other in session so the problematic pattern appears live and can be reshaped.

The invisible rules governing how much closeness and distance family members allow. Enmeshed boundaries are overly blurred; disengaged boundaries are overly rigid.

The arrangement of authority and influence among family members. Structural therapists see clear, flexible caregiver authority as healthier than reversal or confusion in the hierarchy.

A technique that offers a new, more workable meaning for a behavior or situation, changing how the family interprets it so new responses become possible.

A strategic and Milan-systemic technique of describing a symptom or problematic behavior as well-intentioned and serving the family, which lowers resistance to change.

A directive that asks a family to continue or intentionally increase a symptom, used to disrupt the pattern and provoke the family to change on its own initiative.

Behavior that appears to oppose therapeutic change. Systemic therapists often treat it as information about the system's protective patterns rather than as client stubbornness.

The therapist's active effort to connect with a family, accept its style, and build enough trust and influence to work from within its system.

The collaborative working relationship between therapist and clients, built on agreed goals, agreed tasks, and an emotional bond, and consistently linked to better outcomes.

A strain or breakdown in the therapeutic relationship followed by acknowledgment and reconnection. Successfully repaired ruptures can strengthen the alliance.

A multigenerational family diagram, usually covering at least three generations, that maps relationships, events, and patterns to guide assessment and treatment planning.

A diagram showing a family's connections to outside systems such as school, work, health care, and community, including the strength and stress of each link.

The current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Text Revision, published by the American Psychiatric Association, providing criteria used for diagnosis and billing in the United States.

The process of comparing conditions that could plausibly explain a client's symptoms and ruling them out, so the most accurate diagnosis and treatment approach are chosen.

The presence of two or more distinct disorders in the same person at the same time, which requires the clinician to decide which is primary and how to sequence treatment.

Assessment of problems in the family or couple relationship itself, such as distressed patterns of interaction, rather than locating the disorder only inside one individual.

The process of telling clients, in understandable terms, about the nature of therapy, risks, benefits, alternatives, fees, confidentiality limits, and their right to withdraw, then documenting agreement.

The therapist's ethical and legal duty to protect client information from disclosure without permission, subject to specific exceptions defined by law and professional standards.

A legal requirement that therapists report suspected child abuse or neglect, and in many jurisdictions other dependent-adult abuse, to designated authorities, even without client consent.

A legal obligation, arising from Tarasoff-type rulings and state statutes, to take reasonable steps such as warning or protecting an identifiable person when a client poses serious danger.

A situation in which a therapist holds another significant role with a client or someone close to the client, such as business partner, friend, or teacher, raising risk of exploitation or impaired judgment.

A departure from customary professional practice that may be harmless or even helpful, but that requires reflection about context, client welfare, and whether it risks drifting into harm.

The therapist's own emotional reactions, often shaped by personal history, that get stirred up by a client and can bias perception and intervention if left unexamined.

The standard that services be reasonable and required to diagnose or treat a condition, which insurers use to decide coverage and which shapes how clinicians document goals and progress.

A written, collaborative outline of presenting problems, measurable goals, planned interventions, and criteria for review that guides therapy and supports accountability and insurance authorization.

An ongoing stance of openness in which the therapist acknowledges the limits of their cultural knowledge, examines their own biases, and lets clients teach them about their experience.

An adaptation of the genogram that explicitly maps cultural identity, migration, language, religion, and experiences of discrimination across generations to inform assessment and intervention.

Supervision that occurs during the session, typically through a one-way mirror, bug-in-ear, or phone-in, allowing the supervisor to guide the therapist in real time.

The phenomenon in which dynamics from the therapy relationship are reenacted between the supervisee and supervisor, offering a window into the client system if recognized and addressed.

A group of clinicians who observe a session and then discuss their observations in front of the family, offering multiple perspectives while the therapist and family listen.