Free Practice Questions for NBCC NCE-ABE Exam

For depressive disorders, counselors are expected to select interventions that have strong empirical support. Behavioral activation is a well-established, evidence-based intervention for depression. It focuses on:

Increasing engagement in pleasant, mastery-oriented, and values-consistent activities

Reducing patterns of withdrawal and avoidance that maintain or worsen depressive symptoms

Research has repeatedly shown that behavioral activation can be as effective as cognitive therapy and medication for many clients with depression, and it is considered a frontline treatment in many practice guidelines [e.g., standard CBT/BA literature and clinical protocols].

Why the other options are not the best answer:

A. Fear hierarchy – This is typically used as part of systematic desensitization or exposure therapies for anxiety disorders, especially phobias, not as a primary, evidence-based treatment for depression.

C. Empty chair – A Gestalt technique often used for unresolved feelings toward self or others. It can be helpful in some contexts but is not a primary empirically validated core treatment for depression.

D. Dream analysis – Associated with psychodynamic or psychoanalytic approaches; it does not have the same level of empirical support as behavioral activation specifically for depression.

Counselors working within the NBCC Counselor Work Behavior Areas are expected to use interventions like behavioral activation that directly target depressive patterns through structured, change-oriented action.

At the end (termination) of counseling, the key research and evaluation task is to determine what changed as a result of the counseling process. This is called outcome evaluation. It looks at whether client goals were met, symptoms decreased, or functioning improved.

Needs assessment (A) is done before services begin to determine what services or programs are needed.

Formative evaluation (B) focuses on ongoing feedback during the counseling or program to improve it while it is happening.

Program development (D) is planning or revising services, typically done before or between implementation phases.

NBCC-related work behaviors emphasize that counselors should be able to evaluate the effectiveness of their services and use that information ethically to improve practice. That is exactly what outcome evaluation does at termination.

In the intake, assessment, and diagnosis domain, counselors must distinguish among common mental disorders based on symptom patterns. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by:

Excessive anxiety and worry occurring more days than not

Worry that is difficult to control

Concerns that are broad and diffuse, often about everyday events or activities

Associated symptoms such as restlessness, fatigue, muscle tension, irritability, and sleep disturbance

This is captured by Option D: continual yet diffuse and overly-intense reactions to day-to-day stress.

The other options describe different clinical patterns:

A: A persistent lack of enthusiasm with fatigue is more characteristic of depressive disorders.

B: Overconcern with bodily functioning and possible ailments fits somatic symptom–related or illness anxiety presentations, not classic GAD.

C: Repetitive thoughts and ritualistic actions are typical of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Thus, the symptom pattern most consistent with generalized anxiety disorder is D.

In family and systems counseling, NBCC Counselor Work Behavior Areas highlight the importance of understanding circular causality—the idea that behavior in a system is both a cause and an effect of other members’ behaviors, forming interactional patterns rather than simple “A causes B” chains.

Option B best reflects this systemic, circular view: an older sibling’s rebellious behavior has drawn parental attention and shaped the family pattern; the younger sibling then steals to impress the older sibling and participate in that same pattern of rebelliousness and attention. The younger sibling’s behavior is influenced by the existing family dynamic, and in turn, that behavior will further affect the family’s interactions, reinforcing or modifying the pattern. This mutual, looping influence exemplifies circular causality.

Option A describes a largely linear chain: personal anxiety → yoga and avoidance. The interaction pattern within a system is not clearly illustrated.

Option C is also linear: cheating → improved chances of passing → college admission; it does not show reciprocal influence between people in a system.

Option D reflects ambivalence and a complex relationship, but it does not clearly illustrate a pattern of mutual, cyclical influence among system members.

NBCC’s expectations for counseling skills and interventions in systemic work include recognizing and working with these circular patterns, rather than focusing solely on linear “cause–effect” explanations for a single individual’s behavior.

Within Professional Practice and Ethics, counselors are expected to be aware of how their words and behaviors can harm clients, especially in multicultural and diversity contexts. A microaggression is a subtle, often unintentional, verbal or behavioral slight that communicates negative, dismissive, or stereotypical messages toward individuals from marginalized or underrepresented groups. Even when the counselor does not intend harm, microaggressions can damage the therapeutic alliance, invalidate the client’s experience, and create an unsafe counseling environment.

Ethical and professional standards emphasize that counselors must monitor their own biases and communication, recognize when a microaggression may have occurred, and take responsibility for repair in the relationship.

The other options are not best described as unintentional offenses toward the client in this sense:

Countertransference (A) is the counselor’s emotional reaction to the client, often rooted in the counselor’s own history. It can lead to problems, but it is primarily about the counselor’s internal process.

Redirection (B) is a counseling technique, such as gently shifting focus, and is not inherently offensive.

Introjection (D) is a defense mechanism in which a person absorbs others’ beliefs or attitudes as their own; it describes client dynamics, not counselor offense.

Recognizing and preventing microaggressions is a core expectation under Professional Practice and Ethics, especially in working with diverse populations.

When a client brings up assisted suicide, the counselor is dealing with a situation that involves serious ethical, legal, and clinical considerations. The NBCC Counselor Work Behavior Areas emphasize that counselors must know and follow applicable laws, adhere to ethical standards, and seek supervision or consultation when facing complex or high-risk situations.

The best first step is Option A: seek professional and legal consultation/supervision. This helps the counselor clarify:

Legal requirements in their jurisdiction regarding assisted suicide.

Ethical obligations related to client safety, autonomy, and confidentiality.

Appropriate clinical responses and documentation.

Option B (maintain confidentiality) is important but not an action step and may need to be reconsidered if there is clear risk of self-harm. Option C (inform the family) could violate confidentiality without proper legal/ethical grounding. Option D (review palliative medications) is outside the counselor’s scope. Consulting first allows the counselor to proceed in an informed, ethical, and legally sound manner.

Counselors must understand major theories of human development as part of their Areas of Clinical Focus. Carol Gilligan (A) is known for her work on moral development in females, challenging Kohlberg’s male-centered model. She argued that women’s moral reasoning often emphasizes care, relationships, and responsibility, and that this pattern was not adequately captured in earlier theories that relied heavily on male samples.

Her research opened the door for a more nuanced understanding of gender differences in moral reasoning, which is important for counselors when conceptualizing clients’ values, decision-making, and developmental tasks.

The other theorists focus on different areas:

Virginia Satir (B) is associated with family systems and communication patterns in families.

Anne Roe (C) is known for a theory of career development related to early child–parent relationships.

Karen Horney (D) contributed to neo-Freudian psychoanalytic theory and explored personality and feminine psychology but did not specifically develop a major model of moral development in females.

Gilligan’s work supports counselors in recognizing diverse developmental pathways and avoiding gender-biased assumptions when understanding clients’ moral judgments and values.

When clients are described as vocationally immature, they typically lack sufficient awareness of the world of work, have limited understanding of career options, and often have not yet developed realistic views of themselves in relation to occupations. Within the NBCC Counselor Work Behavior Areas, career-focused practice emphasizes meeting clients where they are developmentally and supplying the foundational information and experiences needed before moving into more advanced planning tasks.

For vocationally immature clients, the appropriate emphasis is on providing occupational information—helping them learn about different types of work, training requirements, work environments, typical duties, earnings, and opportunities for advancement. This information reduces confusion, increases readiness for decision-making, and supports later steps like goal setting and occupational choice, making Option B correct.

Option A (Identify occupational choices) is premature if the client does not yet understand the range of possibilities.

Option C (Evaluate past career-related decisions) is not central when the person has made few or no meaningful career decisions.

Option D (Establish long-term goals) is also a later-stage task; vocationally immature clients often struggle with long-range planning until they have more information and self-understanding.

NBCC work expectations related to clinical focus in career counseling stress using developmentally appropriate interventions—building awareness and knowledge first, then progressing toward decision-making and long-term planning.

A strong therapeutic alliance is built through basic counseling skills (microskills) that help the client feel heard, understood, and respected. These include:

Listening – giving full, focused attention to the client’s words and emotions.

Attending – using verbal and nonverbal behaviors (eye contact, posture, vocal tone) to show presence and engagement.

Reflection – accurately reflecting the client’s content and feelings to convey understanding and facilitate deeper exploration.

Option A lists the skills most directly associated with forming an alliance and demonstrating understanding.

B (summarizing, challenging, reframing) are valuable but often more advanced/intervention-focused and can feel confrontational if used before a strong alliance is built.

C (clarifying, assessing, problem-solving) are important but emphasize structure and analysis more than empathic connection.

D (treatment planning, interventions, referral) are broader clinical tasks, not moment-to-moment foundational relationship skills.

These basic microskills are central to the Counseling Skills and Interventions work behavior area, which highlights the counselor’s ability to build rapport, facilitate safety, and promote client engagement.