Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Practice Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The therapeutic technique being employed in this scenario is confrontation. This approach is useful when a clinician gently challenges or asks a client to examine their thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that may be contributing to their situation or hindering their progress. By asking, "What do you think is going on?" the clinician encourages the client to reflect on their behavior (or lack thereof) regarding the homework, prompting them to explore any underlying issues, resistances, or feelings related to completing it.

Confrontation in therapy is not meant to be accusatory but rather to foster insight and self-awareness. This method can help clients address discrepancies between their intentions and actions, which is especially important in behavioral homework that may be linked to their goals.

The other options represent different counseling techniques. For instance, empathy involves understanding and sharing the feelings of the client, while reflection centers around mirroring back the client’s ideas or feelings to help them gain clarity. Behavior modification is a broader concept focused on changing specific behaviors through reinforcement strategies, which does not directly apply to the inquiry posed in this situation.