Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) Practice Exam

In Structural Therapy, what is the method called where members demonstrate their problems during a session?

1. Enactment

2. Enmeshment

3. Emotional Cut-off

4. Entropy

The correct answer is: Enactment

In Structural Therapy, the method where family members demonstrate their problems during a session is known as enactment. This technique allows therapists to observe and intervene in the family dynamics as they unfold in real-time. By enacting specific interactions, family members can illustrate their conflicts, roles, and relational patterns, making it easier for the therapist to identify issues and facilitate change. Enactments help to bring to light the ways in which family members influence each other's behaviors and emotions, creating a more dynamic and interactive therapeutic process. The other terms in the choices represent different concepts. Enmeshment refers to a lack of boundaries in family relationships where individual identities are submerged in the family unit, which isn't directly about demonstrating problems. Emotional cut-off describes a process where individuals in a family distance themselves emotionally to deal with unresolved issues, rather than demonstrating them. Entropy is a concept borrowed from systems theory that refers to disorder or chaos within a system, which doesn’t specifically relate to the demonstration of problems in a therapeutic context. Understanding these distinctions helps clarify the unique role that enactment plays in Structural Therapy.