Sure Pass Exam NCE-ABE PDF

Client-centered (person-centered) counseling, based on Carl Rogers’ theory, is grounded in a fundamentally positive view of human nature. People are seen as having an innate actualizing tendency—a built-in drive to grow, develop, and move constructively toward fulfillment when provided with appropriate conditions such as empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard from the counselor.1

Because of this, client-centered counselors view people as essentially:

Forward moving – oriented toward growth, change, and self-improvement.

Capable of realistic perception when not distorted by conditions of worth or external pressures.1

This aligns directly with Option A: forward moving and realistic.

Why the other options are incorrect:

B. Incongruent in most aspects of their lives.While Rogers acknowledges that incongruence (a mismatch between self-concept and experience) can occur and lead to distress, he does not define people primarily as incongruent in “most aspects” of their lives. Rather, incongruence is seen as a condition that can be reduced in a supportive therapeutic relationship.1

C. Incapable of unassisted change.Person-centered theory emphasizes that clients possess their own resources for growth. The counselor’s role is to provide facilitative conditions, not to act as the expert who “changes” the client. People are not viewed as fundamentally incapable of change without a counselor.1

D. Seeking to purge the evil from their lives.This reflects a moral or theological framing, not the humanistic, nonjudgmental stance of client-centered counseling. Rogers did not conceptualize people as evil; he saw them as basically trustworthy and constructive.1

In the Core Counseling Attributes area, NBCC emphasizes that counselors hold attitudes that respect the client’s inherent capacity for growth, autonomy, and self-direction—exactly the view reflected in Option A.

Within the Areas of Clinical Focus work behavior area, counselors are expected to know evidence-based treatments for specific clinical conditions, including personality disorders.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) (Option C) was originally developed by Marsha Linehan specifically to treat chronically suicidal individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). DBT integrates:

Cognitive-behavioral strategies for behavior change,

Acceptance-based strategies (e.g., mindfulness),

A dialectical framework balancing acceptance and change.

The model includes:

Individual therapy,

Group skills training (mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness),

Phone coaching,

Consultation team for therapists.

These features reflect the NBCC-aligned work behavior expectation that counselors understand appropriate, validated modalities for complex clinical presentations such as BPD.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Analytical behavioral analysis – This is not the recognized model associated with the original treatment of BPD.

B. Cognitive behavioral therapy – While DBT evolved from CBT and CBT techniques are useful with many disorders, standard CBT was not specifically designed as the original, specialized treatment protocol for BPD.

D. Transactional analysis – A distinct theoretical model focusing on ego states and life scripts; it is not the empirically established, original treatment model for BPD.

Counselors working with personality disorders are expected to identify and, when within their scope, apply or refer for treatments such as DBT, which are designed and researched for these clinical populations.

Within the Intake, Assessment and Diagnosis work behavior area, counselors are expected to understand the basic principles of test construction, reliability, and validity so they can select and interpret assessment instruments appropriately.

Criterion validity refers to how well a test score is related to an external criterion, such as independent ratings, real-world performance, or other objective measures of behavior or achievement. For example, if a test is designed to measure job performance, its criterion validity would be demonstrated by the strength of the relationship between test scores and supervisor performance ratings or actual productivity.

Face validity (A) is a superficial judgment about whether a test appears to measure what it claims to measure and is not based on statistical relationships.

Content validity (C) concerns whether the items on a test adequately represent the full range of the content area or domain being measured.

Construct validity (D) refers to how well a test measures a theoretical construct or trait (such as depression, anxiety, or intelligence) and involves an accumulation of evidence from many sources.

Because this question specifically references the test's relationship to independent ratings of performance, it is describing criterion validity, making option B the correct answer.

In many residential treatment settings, groups are typically:

Open-ended, with clients entering and leaving treatment at different times.

Characterized by fluctuating membership and inconsistent attendance due to admissions, discharges, medical issues, or program requirements.

Therefore, leaders can expect open groups with inconsistent attendance (D).

Why the others are less accurate in this context:

A. Treatment team members to specify the goals for the group – although treatment teams may offer input, group leaders are generally responsible for defining and managing group goals within the program structure.

B. Use of screening – in residential facilities, group membership is often driven by who is currently admitted, so there is typically limited ability to screen out members.

C. Consistent and stable membership – this is more typical of closed groups, not residential settings with rolling admissions and discharges.

NBCC Counselor Work Behavior Areas expect counselors to understand how setting characteristics (like residential care) shape group structure, membership, and how leaders plan and intervene.