Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT) Law and Ethics Practice Exam

What should therapists do when a client is in a crisis?

1. Assess the situation and ensure client safety

2. Terminate all sessions immediately

3. Ignore the crisis until the next appointment

4. Outsource all client care to emergency services

The correct answer is: Assess the situation and ensure client safety

When a client is in a crisis, assessing the situation and ensuring client safety is the primary responsibility of the therapist. This approach involves actively evaluating the client's emotional and psychological state, identifying immediate risks, and taking steps to mitigate those risks. Ensuring safety may include creating a safety plan, discussing coping strategies, and determining whether a higher level of care is needed. In a crisis situation, therapists must prioritize the well-being of their clients, which may involve interventions such as providing support, discussing distressing feelings, and, if necessary, connecting clients to emergency services or professionals who can provide immediate assistance. The other approaches would not adequately address the needs of a client in crisis. Terminating all sessions immediately would not provide the necessary support and could exacerbate the client's feelings of abandonment or helplessness. Ignoring the crisis until the next appointment could also put the client at risk, as unresolved crises can lead to further emotional deterioration. Finally, outsourcing all client care to emergency services may not be appropriate unless the situation requires immediate intervention; therapists are trained to address many crisis situations effectively themselves before resorting to external services.