How to Appear Racist 101

A Korean-American client reports that she suffers from aches and pains and occasional insomnia. She doesn't describe any other symptoms or disclose information about her personal life or family. She says she has come in to see the social worker only because her doctor told her to. What should the social worker do?

A. Refer the client to a pastor at a local Korean church.
B. Refer the client to a neuropsychologist for testing.
C. Focus on the specific problem brought in by the client and help her develop her own goals for therapy.
D. Ask the client if she has been feeling depressed.

Dear social worker: limit your scope of practice and inflate your ability to generalize by choosing one. What would you choose? Cause did you know the answer is "A"? Forgive my language, but WTF?

A friend and I are studying for the social work licensing exam, and we send each other ridiculous questions we come across in the practice exams.

At the beginning of therapy with a Caucasian social worker, an African-American client is MOST likely to experience which of the following?

A) High self-expression.
B) Significant anxiety.
C) Transference.
D) Lack of motivation.

We're actually supposed to answer this question. My answer: Dear Social Work Licensing Board: Let's critically examine the presentation of this question. And the answer is "C." What kind of transference, you ask? Transferring of what exactly? Excellent question. The rationale makes sense to me: "It is recommended that therapists consider the influence of historical hostility as a necessary part of effective therapy with African-Americans." That's very helpful. Thanks. Apparently we missed the importance of EFFECTIVE WORDING in helping us appear less racist!