THE COMMON CORE AREAS OF THE NCE
The test covers 8 CACREP common core areas. The questions of the NCE are aligned with the common core areas listed below. These areas most likely have corresponded to courses you have taken. For me, I spent most of my time studying from these areas, as the questions on the test really focus on the theories, persons, terms and concepts from these areas.
1. Professional counseling orientation and ethical practice
2. Social and cultural diversity
3. Human growth and development
4. Career development
5. Counseling and helping relationships
6. Group counseling and group work
7. Assessment and testing
8. Research and program evaluation
THE SIX DOMAINS OF THE NCE– from the NBCC manual
There are six domains of the NCE, but they are not weighted equally as you can see from the chart below. Why is this important? Because if you are week in an area as I was with Research Methods, you may want to put all of your focus into that specific area, which may be a waste of time, especially if it is only worth 8% or 12% of your score. I’m not saying do not put any time studying these areas as they will be covered, but do not do so at the expense of other areas that count more toward your final score.
Below the chart, I have listed examples of content that falls under each domain.
DOMAIN______________________________PERCENT ____ NUMBER
Professional Practice and Ethics_________12%__________19
Intake, Assessment and Diagnosis________12%__________19
Areas of Clinical Focus_________________29%__________47
Treatment Planning____________________9%__________14
Counseling Skills and Interventions______30%__________48
Core Counseling Attributes._____________8%__________13
TOTAL______________________________100%_________160
CONTENT WITHIN EACH DOMAIN
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE AND ETHICS
• Counselor competency,
• Eight ethical principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, fidelity and veracity, privacy and confidentiality
• Statistical concepts and research methods
• Legal and ethical counseling
• Counselor-client roles
• Clients rights and responsibilities
• Limits of confidentiality
• Duty to warn
• Informed consent: Explain counselor agency polies, payment fees, insurance benefits, counseling processes procedures, risks, benefits, uses
and limits of social media, legal aspects, confidentiality as it applies to electronic communication, obtain informed consent.
• Group rules, expectations and termination criteria
• The therapeutic relationship and trust
• Client records. Information to third parties.
• Accommodations for clients with disabilities
• When/How to refer a client elsewhere
• Advocacy
• Supervision/consultation
• Self-care
INTAKE, ASSESSMENT, AND DIAGNOSIS
• Biopsychosocial interview
• Mental status exam
• Diagnostic interview
• Cultural formulation interview
• Initial interview
• Diagnosis and co occurring diagnosis
• Modality of treatment
• Assess presenting problem and level of distress
• Evaluate level of mental health functioning
• Screen clients for services
• Assess for trauma, substance abuse, suicidal ideation and other ongoing assessments
• Obtain Client self-reports, evaluate interactional dynamics
• Evaluate counseling effectiveness
AREAS OF CLINICAL FOCUS: (The list is alphabetical)
• Adjustment related to physical loss/injury/medical condition, aging/geriatric concerns: caregiving concerns,
• behavioral problems , bullying,
• cultural adjustments,
• developmental processes/tasks/issues
• emotional dysregulation
• end of life, terminal illness
• Family issues: adoption, blended family, child abuse-related concerns, child development, dating/relationship problems, divorce, family
abuse/violence (e.g., physical, sexual, emotional), interpersonal partner violence concerns, marital/partner communication problems, parenting /co-parenting conflicts, emotional dysregulation, remarriage/recommitment
• fear and panic, hopelessness/depression, loneliness/attachment
• gender identity development , grief/loss ,
• intellectual functioning issues, hyper/hypo mental focus,
• insomnia/sleep issues,
• maladaptive eating behaviors,
• obsessive thoughts/behaviors, occupation and career development
• physical issues related to anxiety physical issues related to depression, physical/emotional issues related to trauma, process addictions
(pornography, gambling)
• racism/discrimination/oppression , religious values conflict Retirement concerns, ruminating and/or intrusive thoughts,
• separation from primary care givers, sexual functioning concerns, sleeping habits, spiritual/existential concerns, stress management, substance use/addiction , suicidal thoughts/behaviors
• visual/auditory hallucinations,
• worry and anxiety,
TREATMENT PLANNING
This section encompasses counselors’ knowledge, skills, and abilities to develop an effective course of treatment.
• Collaborate with client to establish treatment goals and objectives
• Establish short- and long-term counseling goals consistent with clients’ diagnoses Identify barriers affecting client goal attainment
• Identify strengths that improve the likelihood of goal attainment
• Refer to different levels of treatment (e.g., outpatient, inpatient, residential, etc.) Refer to others for concurrent treatment
• Guide treatment planning
• Discuss termination process and issues
• Discuss transitions in group membership
• Follow-up after discharge
• Use assessment instrument results to facilitate client decision making
• Review and revise the treatment plan
• Engage clients in review of progress toward treatment goals
• Collaborate with other providers and client support systems (documentation and report writing)
• Discuss with clients the integration and maintenance of therapeutic progress Educate client to the value of treatment plan compliance
COUNSELING SKILLS AND INTERVENTIONS
• Align intervention with client’s developmental level
• Align intervention with counseling modality (individual, couple, family, or group)
• Align intervention with client population (e.g., veterans, minorities, disenfranchised, disabled)
• Implement individual counseling in relation to a plan of treatment
• Establish therapeutic alliance F. Apply theory-based counseling intervention(s)
• Address addiction issues
• Address cultural considerations
• Address family composition and cultural considerations
• Evaluate and explain systemic patterns of interaction
• Explore family member interaction
• Explore religious and spiritual values
• Guide clients in the development of skills or strategies for dealing with their problems
• Help clients develop support systems
• Help facilitate clients’ motivation to make the changes they desire
• Improve interactional patterns
• Provide crisis intervention
• Educate client about transference and defense mechanisms
• Facilitate trust and safety
• Build communication skills
• Develop conflict resolution strategies
• Develop safety plans W. Facilitate systemic change
• Provide distance counseling or telemental health
• Provide education resources (e.g., stress management, assertiveness training, divorce adjustment)
• Provide psychoeducation for client
• Summarize
• Reframe/redirect
• Facilitate empathic responses
• Use self-disclosure
• Use constructive confrontation
• Facilitate awareness of here-and-now interactions
• Facilitate resolution of interpersonal conflict
• Use linking and blocking in a group context
• Management of leader–member dynamics
• Model giving and receiving of feedback
• Address impact of extended families
• Contain and manage intense feelings
• Explore the influence of family of origin patterns and themes
• Address the impact of social support network
• Use “structured” activities
• Promote and encourage interactions among group members
• Promote and encourage interactions with the group leader
• Use psychoeducation as a part of the group process
• Explain phases in the group process
• Identify and discuss group themes and patterns
• Create intervention based on the stage of group development
• Challenge harmful group member behaviors
• Address the potential interaction of members outside of the group
CORE COUNSELING ATTRIBUTES
This section encompasses behaviors, traits, and dispositions of effective counselors.
• Awareness of self and impact on clients
• Genuineness
• Congruence
• Demonstrate knowledge of and sensitivity to gender orientation and gender issues
• Demonstrate knowledge of and sensitivity to multicultural issues
• Demonstrate conflict tolerance and resolution
• Empathic attunement
• Empathic responding
• Foster the emergence of group therapeutic factors
• Non-judgmental stance
• Positive regard
• Respect and acceptance for diversity
• Use foundational listening, attending, and reflecting skills