Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Therapist Development Center Practice Exam

In developing a treatment plan for a couple struggling with intimacy and conflict, which focus would be most appropriate?

1. Goals for the son’s rehabilitation

2. Improving the parents’ relationship

3. Individual counseling for the husband

4. Family therapy including the son

The correct answer is: Improving the parents’ relationship

Focusing on improving the parents’ relationship is crucial when working with a couple struggling with intimacy and conflict. By prioritizing the couple’s relationship, the therapist can address the underlying issues affecting their connection and explore how intimacy and conflict are interconnected. Enhancing the couple's communication skills, emotional connection, and conflict resolution strategies can foster a healthier relationship dynamic. Addressing these aspects directly can lead to a more satisfying partnership, and consequently, this may also positively affect their family environment, including their children. While other choices may seem relevant, they divert attention from the couple's direct relationship challenges. Goals related to the son’s rehabilitation focus on the child’s needs and might not directly resolve the couple's issues. Individual counseling for the husband may provide personal insights, but it pulls attention away from joint dynamics vital for addressing intimacy and conflict. Family therapy involving the son, while beneficial in certain contexts, does not target the immediate need to strengthen the couple's relationship as a primary goal. This makes direct work on the parents’ relationship the most appropriate focus in this situation.