Therapist Development Center Practice Exam 1

When addressing a young adult client’s childhood bullying experiences, what should the social worker focus on?

1. Sharing a personal experience of being teased as a child.

2. Assist the client in developing awareness around his feelings related to being bullied.

3. Confront the client's denial.

4. Provide psychoeducation on the relationship between bullying and depression.

The correct answer is: Assist the client in developing awareness around his feelings related to being bullied.

Focusing on assisting the client in developing awareness around their feelings related to being bullied is essential for several reasons. This approach emphasizes the importance of emotional processing and self-reflection, which can lead to greater understanding and healing. By helping the client articulate and explore their feelings about the bullying experiences, the social worker supports them in making sense of their past and how it has impacted their current emotional state and self-concept. Developing this awareness can empower the client to recognize patterns in their emotional reactions and behavior that may stem from those formative experiences. This step is crucial as it sets the foundation for further therapeutic work, such as developing coping strategies, building resilience, and fostering self-acceptance. Building this self-awareness contrasts with other options like sharing a personal experience, which may shift the focus away from the client’s processing. Confronting denial could be counterproductive if the client is not ready, and providing psychoeducation is informative but may not delve deeply into the emotional complexities associated with bullying. Therefore, the focus on developing emotional awareness is aligned with best practices in therapeutic settings.