CPCE Counseling and Helping Relationships: 15 Free Questions
Published 2026-10-21 · Facts and text checked 2026-10-16 · Questions from our CPCE study guide · Reviewed by Hana N., Quality Reviewer
These free CPCE practice questions cover Counseling and Helping Relationships, part of 5. Counseling and Helping Relationships on the exam. Counseling theories, techniques and the therapeutic relationship. Each question comes from a practice test in our CPCE study guide and shows the correct answer with an explanation. The full exam has 160 questions (136 scored, 24 unscored).
Counseling theories, techniques and the therapeutic relationship. On the exam this is part of 5. Counseling and Helping Relationships. Open each answer to read the explanation.
Question 1Easy
A client tells their counselor, 'My mother died last year, and I just can't stop crying. I feel so alone.' The counselor responds, 'I feel so sorry for you; that must be awful.' This response primarily demonstrates:
- A.Empathy, because the counselor is trying to understand the client's pain
- B.Sympathy, because the counselor expresses pity rather than accurately sensing the client's experience
- C.Unconditional positive regard, because the counselor accepts the client's sadness
- D.Congruence, because the counselor is being genuine with their feelings
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Sympathy, because the counselor expresses pity rather than accurately sensing the client's experience
Sympathy involves feeling sorry for someone, while empathy requires accurately understanding the client's subjective world and communicating that understanding. The counselor's response focuses on their own feeling of pity (sympathy) rather than reflecting the client's experience.
From practice test 3 of our CPCE study guide (question 145). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 2Medium
A client discloses having engaged in behavior that the counselor finds morally objectionable. According to person-centered therapy, the counselor should:
- A.Withhold judgment and continue to value the client as a person
- B.Challenge the client's behavior
- C.Express disapproval to encourage honesty
- D.Refer the client to another counselor
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Withhold judgment and continue to value the client as a person
Unconditional positive regard requires accepting the client without judgment, regardless of their behavior. Challenging the behavior (distractor D) is more aligned with cognitive-behavioral approaches.
From practice test 6 of our CPCE study guide (question 14). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 3Hard
A therapy client who has been exploring feelings of inadequacy at work suddenly cancels several sessions without explanation. Later, he admits he impulsively bought an expensive car he cannot afford after a particularly difficult session. Which defense mechanism best explains this sequence?
- A.Compensation
- B.Regression
- C.Acting out
- D.Sublimation
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Acting out
Acting out involves expressing unconscious feelings or impulses through actions rather than reflecting on them verbally. The client’s impulsive purchase and session cancellations are behavioral expressions of his distress.
From practice test 4 of our CPCE study guide (question 101). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 4Easy
In psychodynamic therapy, the technique of free association involves the client:
- A.Reporting whatever comes to mind without censorship.
- B.Associating a current feeling with a past memory.
- C.Writing dreams in a journal for analysis.
- D.Choosing a specific topic to discuss each session.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Reporting whatever comes to mind without censorship.
Free association is the fundamental rule to say everything that comes to mind, bypassing conscious control to reveal unconscious material. Option B describes a more directed association, not the unrestricted flow.
From practice test 3 of our CPCE study guide (question 121). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 5Hard
A client with panic disorder believes that if their heart races during a presentation, they will have a heart attack. Which behavioral experiment would most directly test this fear?
- A.Have the client monitor their heart rate during presentations and compare it to baseline.
- B.Ask the client to speak in front of a small group while wearing a heart rate monitor and note that no heart attack occurs.
- C.Have the client repeatedly imagine the presentation and rate their anxiety level.
- D.Instruct the client to use deep breathing whenever they feel their heart race.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Ask the client to speak in front of a small group while wearing a heart rate monitor and note that no heart attack occurs.
A behavioral experiment must directly test the feared outcome. Option B places the client in the feared situation and observes that the predicted catastrophe (heart attack) does not happen, disconfirming the belief. Options A and C do not test the catastrophic prediction; D is a coping strategy, not a test.
From practice test 3 of our CPCE study guide (question 36). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 6Medium
A child who experienced inconsistent caregiving in infancy now exhibits clingy behavior with new teachers and becomes distressed when the caregiver leaves. According to attachment theory, the child’s expectations about relationships are shaped by:
- A.Stranger anxiety
- B.Temperament
- C.Internal working models
- D.Secure base scripts
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Internal working models
Internal working models are mental representations of self and others formed through early attachment experiences, guiding expectations and behaviors in relationships. Secure base scripts are specific event schemas; temperament and stranger anxiety are broader developmental concepts.
From practice test 4 of our CPCE study guide (question 54). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 7Medium
A client reports, 'I get so nervous before meetings that I always stumble over my words. My mind just goes blank.' When asked what goes through their mind, they say, 'Everyone will think I'm incompetent.' This statement is an example of which concept in CBT?
- A.A core belief about the self
- B.An automatic thought that is situation-specific
- C.A cognitive distortion requiring Socratic questioning
- D.A maladaptive assumption about performance
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. An automatic thought that is situation-specific
The statement 'Everyone will think I'm incompetent' is a spontaneous, evaluative thought that occurs in a specific situation (the meeting). In CBT, this is an automatic thought, which is distinct from deeper core beliefs (A) or intermediate assumptions (D).
From practice test 3 of our CPCE study guide (question 60). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 8Easy
After failing a job interview, a client says, 'I didn't really want that job anyway; it would have been too stressful.' Which defense mechanism is the client using?
- A.Sublimation
- B.Rationalization
- C.Projection
- D.Denial
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Rationalization
Rationalization involves creating plausible excuses to avoid acknowledging disappointment or failure. The client is generating a logical reason to minimize the pain of rejection. Denial would involve refusing to accept that the failure occurred.
From practice test 7 of our CPCE study guide (question 29). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 9Easy
In solution-focused brief therapy, when a counselor asks a client to describe times when the problem is less severe or absent, the counselor is using which technique?
- A.Not knowing stance
- B.Scaling questions
- C.Exception finding
- D.Miracle question
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Exception finding
Exception finding is the core SFBT technique that explores times when the problem is less present, aiming to identify existing resources and solutions. Scaling questions measure progress, miracle question imagines a solution, and not knowing stance is about therapist humility, not directly exception finding.
From practice test 2 of our CPCE study guide (question 8). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 10Easy
A client with social anxiety believes, 'If I stumble over my words at the meeting, everyone will think I'm incompetent.' Using the ABCDE model, what is the therapist's first step after identifying this belief?
- A.Encourage the client to replace the thought with a positive affirmation.
- B.Help the client dispute the belief by examining evidence for and against it.
- C.Explore the client's childhood experiences that led to this belief.
- D.Assign the client to practice speaking in front of a mirror.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Help the client dispute the belief by examining evidence for and against it.
In the ABCDE model, 'D' stands for Disputation, where the therapist guides the client to challenge the irrational belief. Option A is incorrect because CBT does not use simple positive affirmations without evidence; option C is a psychodynamic approach, not CBT.
From practice test 6 of our CPCE study guide (question 45). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 11Medium
In a solution-focused session, a client says they feel stuck in their career. The therapist responds, 'I have no idea what the right path is for you, but you have already identified some things that matter to you. What small step could you take this week?' This response reflects the SFBT principle of:
- A.Cognitive restructuring
- B.The 'not knowing' stance
- C.Collaborative empiricism
- D.Behavioral activation
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. The 'not knowing' stance
The therapist adopts a 'not knowing' stance by acknowledging they are not the expert on the client's life, while still guiding toward client-generated solutions. This contrasts with CBT's more directive teaching role.
From practice test 9 of our CPCE study guide (question 27). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 12Medium
A client states, 'I have to be perfect at work or I'll get fired.' The therapist asks the client to list the advantages and disadvantages of holding this belief. What cognitive therapy technique is being applied?
- A.Socratic questioning
- B.Cognitive restructuring
- C.Cost-benefit analysis
- D.Decatastrophizing
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Cost-benefit analysis
Cost-benefit analysis involves weighing the pros and cons of a belief to reduce its rigidity and motivate change. Socratic questioning is a broader process; cognitive restructuring is the overarching process; decatastrophizing specifically examines the worst-case scenario.
From practice test 5 of our CPCE study guide (question 76). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 13Hard
A counselor notices feelings of irritation toward a client who is very dependent. The counselor uses this feeling to hypothesize that the client may evoke similar reactions in others. This use of countertransference reflects:
- A.A failure to manage personal issues
- B.An unethical imposition of the counselor's feelings
- C.A therapeutic tool to understand the client's interpersonal impact
- D.A sign that the counselor needs personal therapy
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. A therapeutic tool to understand the client's interpersonal impact
When recognized and used appropriately, countertransference provides insight into the client's relational patterns. The closest distractor (A) implies it is a failure, but the scenario describes deliberate therapeutic use.
From practice test 6 of our CPCE study guide (question 83). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 14Medium
A client reports that their low mood has been present for months. The therapist asks, 'Are there times when you felt a little better, even for a short while? What was different then?' This technique is known as:
- A.Scaling question
- B.Miracle question
- C.Reframing
- D.Exception finding
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Exception finding
Exception finding identifies times when the problem is less severe to uncover existing solutions. Scaling questions measure progress numerically. The miracle question imagines sudden change.
From practice test 9 of our CPCE study guide (question 126). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 15Easy
Which statement reflects empathy rather than sympathy?
- A.I can see that you are hurting, and I am here with you.
- B.You must feel terrible; I would too.
- C.I feel so sorry for you.
- D.It’s sad that this happened to you.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. I can see that you are hurting, and I am here with you.
Empathy involves understanding and being present with the client's experience, while sympathy involves feeling pity or sorrow for the client. The correct response communicates presence and understanding, whereas the other options express pity or personal identification.
From practice test 7 of our CPCE study guide (question 18). Original question, not an official exam item.
Want more mixed questions? Go back to the CPCE practice test hub.
Want the full CPCE preparation?
These questions come from our CPCE study guide: full-length practice tests with every answer explained, flashcards, an AI study tutor and the audiobook.