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References

These are the sources behind our study materials. Every practice question is original. They are drafted with AI assistance and then reviewed and approved by a marriage and family therapist.

Exam content and professional standards

  • Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards. (2026). Marital and family therapy national examination: Handbook for candidates (2027 ed.). Professional Testing Corporation.

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. (2026). AAMFT code of ethics.

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards. (2021). Teletherapy & telesupervision guidelines II.

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source

Diagnosis and assessment

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • Bernstein, R., & Jacobs, E. (2022). DSM-5-TR overview: QuickStudy digital reference guide. BarCharts Publishing.

    Secondary summaryVerified against source
  • Posner, K., Brown, G. K., Stanley, B., Brent, D. A., Yershova, K. V., Oquendo, M. A., Currier, G. W., Melvin, G. A., Greenhill, L., Shen, S., & Mann, J. J. (2011). The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale: Initial validity and internal consistency findings from three multisite studies with adolescents and adults. American Journal of Psychiatry, 168(12), 1266–1277. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.10111704

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (n.d.). Alcohol use disorder: A comparison between DSM-IV and DSM-5. https://niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/alcohol-use-disorder-comparison-between-dsm

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • Babor, T. F., Higgins-Biddle, J. C., Saunders, J. B., & Monteiro, M. G. (2001). AUDIT: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test: Guidelines for use in primary care (2nd ed.). World Health Organization.

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • Graham, J. M., Liu, Y. J., & Jeziorski, J. L. (2006). The Dyadic Adjustment Scale: A reliability generalization meta-analysis. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68(3), 701–717.

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry. (n.d.). Mental status exam: Definitions. https://admsep.org/

    Secondary summaryVerified against source

Family therapy models

  • Watters, Y., & Adamson, D. (Eds.). (2024). Foundational concepts and models of family therapy. Routledge.

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source
  • Griffin, W. A., & Greene, S. M. (1999). Models of family therapy: The essential guide. Routledge.

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source
  • Nichols, M. P., & Davis, S. D. (2021). Family therapy: Concepts and methods (12th ed.). Pearson.

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source

    A 13th edition (Davis & Nichols, 2027) came out in July 2026. Our content hasn't been checked against it yet.

  • Minuchin, S. (1974). Families and family therapy. Harvard University Press.

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source
  • Johnson, S. M. (2020). The practice of emotionally focused couple therapy: Creating connection (3rd ed.). Routledge.

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source
  • Russell, W. P., Breunlin, D. C., & Sahebi, B. (2023). Integrative systemic therapy in practice. Routledge.

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source
  • Gottman, J. M. (2024). What predicts divorce? The relationship between marital processes and marital outcomes (Reissue ed.). Routledge.

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source
  • McGoldrick, M., Gerson, R., & Petry, S. (2020). Genograms: Assessment and treatment (4th ed.). W. W. Norton.

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source
  • Pitta, P. (2015). Solving modern family dilemmas. Routledge.

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source
  • Minuchin, S., & Fishman, H. C. (1981). Family therapy techniques. Harvard University Press.

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source

    Checked against Chapter 3, Joining.

  • Gottman, J. M., & Silver, N. (2015). The seven principles for making marriage work (Rev. ed.). Harmony Books.

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source

    The clinician confirmed the 69% figure for perpetual problems in a library ebook on 2026-11-08. Other details haven't been checked against this book.

  • Goldberg, R. M. (2017). Gottman method couples therapy. In J. Carlson & S. B. Dermer (Eds.), The SAGE encyclopedia of marriage, family, and couples counseling. SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483369532

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source
  • Papernow, P. L. (2013). Surviving and thriving in stepfamily relationships: What works and what doesn't. Routledge.

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source
  • Lebow, J. L., Chambers, A. L., & Breunlin, D. C. (Eds.). (2019). Encyclopedia of couple and family therapy. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49425-8

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source

    Checked entry by entry for the items that cite it, not read cover to cover.

  • Moini, S., & Jarvinen, M. (2019). Pseudomutuality in family systems. In J. L. Lebow, A. L. Chambers, & D. C. Breunlin (Eds.), Encyclopedia of couple and family therapy (pp. 2367–2369). Springer.

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source
  • Roddy, M. K., Nowlan, K. M., Doss, B. D., & Christensen, A. (2016). Integrative behavioral couple therapy: Theoretical background, empirical research, and dissemination. Family Process, 55(3), 408–422. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12223

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Payne, M. (2006). Narrative therapy: An introduction for counsellors (2nd ed.). SAGE. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446213322

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source
  • Nielsen, A. C. (2022). Integrative couple therapy in action: A practical guide for handling common relationship problems and crises. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/b22905

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source
  • Hartman, A. (1995). Diagrammatic assessment of family relationships. Families in Society, 76(2), 111.

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Earnshaw, E. (2024). How stress affects relationships. The Gottman Institute. https://www.gottman.com/blog/how-stress-affects-relationships/

    Secondary summaryVerified against source
  • Fredman, S. J., Vorstenbosch, V., Wagner, A. C., Macdonald, A., & Monson, C. M. (2014). Partner accommodation in posttraumatic stress disorder: Initial testing of the Significant Others' Responses to Trauma Scale (SORTS). Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 28(4), 372–381. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.04.001

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Campbell, S. B., Renshaw, K. D., Kashdan, T. B., Curby, T. W., & Carter, S. P. (2017). A daily diary study of posttraumatic stress symptoms and romantic partner accommodation. Behavior Therapy, 48(2), 222–234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2016.04.006

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Lebowitz, E. R., Marin, C., Martino, A., Shimshoni, Y., & Silverman, W. K. (2020). Parent-based treatment as efficacious as cognitive-behavioral therapy for childhood anxiety: A randomized noninferiority study of Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 59(3), 362–372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2019.02.014

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Abramowitz, J. S., Baucom, D. H., Boeding, S., Wheaton, M. G., Pukay-Martin, N. D., Fabricant, L. E., Paprocki, C., & Fischer, M. S. (2013). Treating obsessive-compulsive disorder in intimate relationships: A pilot study of couple-based cognitive-behavior therapy. Behavior Therapy, 44(3), 395–407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2013.02.005

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Le Grange, D., Crosby, R. D., Rathouz, P. J., & Leventhal, B. L. (2007). A randomized controlled comparison of family-based treatment and supportive psychotherapy for adolescent bulimia nervosa. Archives of General Psychiatry, 64(9), 1049–1056. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.64.9.1049

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674–697. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Heatherington, L., Friedlander, M. L., & Escudero, V. (2019). Balancing alliances with couples and families. Psychotherapy Bulletin, 54(3), 21–24.

    Secondary summaryVerified against source
  • National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (n.d.). Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. https://www.nctsn.org/interventions/trauma-focused-cognitive-behavioral-therapy

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • CBT+ Initiative. (2011). Trauma-focused CBT A-PRACTICE checklist. University of Washington.

    Secondary summaryVerified against source
  • Walrath, R. (2011). Extinction burst. In S. Goldstein & J. A. Naglieri (Eds.), Encyclopedia of child behavior and development (pp. 626–627). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1073

    Secondary summaryVerified against source
  • Administration for Children and Families. (n.d.). Multisystemic therapy. Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse. https://preventionservices.acf.hhs.gov/programs/1019/show

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • McDowell, T., Knudson-Martin, C., & Bermudez, J. M. (2023). Socioculturally attuned family therapy: Guidelines for equitable theory and practice (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003216520

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source

    Only the sections used on this site were checked, in Chapters 2 and 3.

  • Tatarko, A., & Berry, J. W. (2024). Acculturation strategies and psychological adaptation of two generations of the same ethnic minority group in different sociopolitical contexts. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 100, Article 101970. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2024.101970

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Faber, A. J., Willerton, E., Clymer, S. R., MacDermid, S. M., & Weiss, H. M. (2008). Ambiguous absence, ambiguous presence: A qualitative study of military reserve families in wartime. Journal of Family Psychology, 22(2), 222–230.

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source

Violence, crisis, and safety

  • Stith, S. M., McCollum, E. E., & Rosen, K. H. (2011). Couples therapy for domestic violence: Finding safe solutions. American Psychological Association.

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source
  • Glass, N., Laughon, K., Campbell, J., Block, C. R., Hanson, G., Sharps, P. W., & Taliaferro, E. (2008). Non-fatal strangulation is an important risk factor for homicide of women. Journal of Emergency Medicine, 35(3), 329–335.

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Brymer, M., Jacobs, A., Layne, C., Pynoos, R., Ruzek, J., Steinberg, A., Vernberg, E., & Watson, P. (2006). Psychological first aid: Field operations guide (2nd ed.). National Child Traumatic Stress Network and National Center for PTSD. https://www.nctsn.org/resources/psychological-first-aid-pfa-field-operations-guide-2nd-edition

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • Hobfoll, S. E., Watson, P., Bell, C. C., Bryant, R. A., Brymer, M. J., Friedman, M. J., Friedman, M., Gersons, B. P. R., de Jong, J. T. V. M., Layne, C. M., Maguen, S., Neria, Y., Norwood, A. E., Pynoos, R. S., Reissman, D., Ruzek, J. I., Shalev, A. Y., Solomon, Z., Steinberg, A. M., & Ursano, R. J. (2007). Five essential elements of immediate and mid-term mass trauma intervention: Empirical evidence. Psychiatry, 70(4), 283–315.

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Rose, S. C., Bisson, J., Churchill, R., & Wessely, S. (2002). Psychological debriefing for preventing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (2), Article CD000560. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000560

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Klonsky, E. D., May, A. M., & Glenn, C. R. (2013). The relationship between nonsuicidal self-injury and attempted suicide: Converging evidence from four samples. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 122(1), 231–237. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030278

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Stanley, B., & Brown, G. K. (2012). Safety planning intervention: A brief intervention to mitigate suicide risk. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 19(2), 256–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2011.01.001

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014). SAMHSA's concept of trauma and guidance for a trauma-informed approach (HHS Publication No. SMA 14-4884).

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2019). Mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau.

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source

    Checked against the 2019 edition. A 2023 update is available, and state laws change, so check your own state.

  • Administration for Community Living. (2026). What if I suspect abuse, neglect, or exploitation? U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://acl.gov/programs/protection-and-advocacy-systems/what-if-i-suspect-abuse-neglect-or-exploitation

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • Administration for Community Living. (n.d.). National Center on Elder Abuse. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://acl.gov/programs/elder-justice/national-center-elder-abuse

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). First aid for seizures. https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/first-aid-for-seizures/index.html

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • MedlinePlus. (2026). Anaphylaxis. National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000844.htm

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • MedlinePlus. (n.d.). Bulimia. National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000341.htm

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Lifesaving naloxone. https://www.cdc.gov/stop-overdose/caring/naloxone.html

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. (n.d.). 988 Lifeline. https://988lifeline.org/

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source

How people learn

  • Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students' learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612453266

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354–380. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.132.3.354

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Roediger, H. L., III, & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01693.x

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Rohrer, D., Dedrick, R. F., Hartwig, M. K., & Cheung, C.-N. (2020). A randomized controlled trial of interleaved mathematics practice. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112(1), 40–52. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000367

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source

Laws and regulations

  • Modifications to the HIPAA Privacy, Security, Enforcement, and Breach Notification Rules, 78 Fed. Reg. 5566 (Jan. 25, 2013).

    Law or regulationVerified against source
  • Office for Civil Rights. (2003). Summary of the HIPAA privacy rule. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

    Law or regulationVerified against source
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Summary of the HIPAA security rule. https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/security/laws-regulations/index.html

    Law or regulationVerified against source
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Covered entities and business associates. https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/covered-entities/index.html

    Law or regulationVerified against source
  • Definitions, 45 C.F.R. § 164.501.

    Law or regulationVerified against source
  • Uses and disclosures to carry out treatment, payment, or health care operations, 45 C.F.R. § 164.506.

    Law or regulationVerified against source
  • Uses and disclosures for which an authorization is required, 45 C.F.R. § 164.508.

    Law or regulationVerified against source
  • Uses and disclosures for which an authorization or opportunity to agree or object is not required, 45 C.F.R. § 164.512(e).

    Law or regulationVerified against source
  • Access of individuals to protected health information, 45 C.F.R. § 164.524.

    Law or regulationVerified against source
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2024). Fact sheet: 42 CFR Part 2 final rule. https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/regulatory-initiatives/fact-sheet-42-cfr-part-2-final-rule/

    Law or regulationVerified against source
  • U.S. Department of Education & U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2019). Joint guidance on the application of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to student health records. https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/resources/joint-guidance-application-ferpa-and-hipaa-student-health-records

    Law or regulationVerified against source
  • Jaffee v. Redmond, 518 U.S. 1 (1996).

    Law or regulationVerified against source
  • Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California, 17 Cal. 3d 425 (1976).

    Law or regulationVerified against source
  • Utah Code Ann. § 58-60-114 (2023).

    Law or regulationVerified against source
  • Anti-Kickback Statute, 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b).

    Law or regulationVerified against source
  • Limitation on Certain Physician Referrals (Stark Law), 42 U.S.C. § 1395nn.

    Law or regulationVerified against source
  • False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729–3733.

    Law or regulationVerified against source
  • Recupero, P. R., & Rainey, S. E. (2007). Liability and risk management in outpatient psychotherapy supervision. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 35(2), 188–195.

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source

Treatment, medication, and research

  • National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Fluoxetine tablets: Prescribing information [Boxed warning: Suicidal thoughts and behaviors]. DailyMed. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=a04a5bed-d051-4bb4-ae20-b09b10d5c181

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Lithium: Prescribing information.

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2012). SAMHSA's working definition of recovery (Publication No. PEP12-RECDEF).

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • APA Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice. (2006). Evidence-based practice in psychology. American Psychologist, 61(4), 271–285. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.61.4.271

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Unicomb, R., Colyvas, K., Harrison, E., & Hewat, S. (2015). Assessment of reliable change using 95% credible intervals for the differences in proportions: A statistical analysis for case-study methodology. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 58(3), 728–739. https://doi.org/10.1044/2015_JSLHR-S-14-0158

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Miller, R. B., & Johnson, L. N. (Eds.). (2026). Advanced methods in family therapy research: A focus on validity and change (2nd ed.). Routledge.

    Clinical or theoretical textVerified against source
  • Kratochwill, T. R., Hitchcock, J., Horner, R. H., Levin, J. R., Odom, S. L., Rindskopf, D. M., & Shadish, W. R. (2010). Single-case design technical documentation (Version 1.0, pilot). What Works Clearinghouse.

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source
  • Miller, S. D., Duncan, B. L., Brown, J., Sorrell, R., & Chalk, M. B. (2006). Using formal client feedback to improve retention and outcome: Making ongoing, real-time assessment feasible. Journal of Brief Therapy, 5(1), 5–22.

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Roozen, H. G., de Waart, R., & van der Kroft, P. (2010). Community reinforcement and family training: An effective option to engage treatment-resistant substance-abusing individuals in treatment. Addiction, 105(10), 1729–1738. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03016.x

    Peer-reviewed researchVerified against source
  • Nevada Medicaid. (2026). Outpatient mental health treatment plan components and documentation: Fact sheet. https://www.medicaid.nv.gov/

    Official standard or guidelineVerified against source

What the labels mean

Each source has two labels: what kind of evidence it is, and whether we've verified our content against it.

Type of evidence

Peer-reviewed research
Studies, systematic reviews, and articles published in peer-reviewed journals.
Official standard or guideline
The exam handbook, the AAMFT Code, the DSM-5-TR, and guidance from professional bodies and government agencies.
Law or regulation
Statutes, regulations, and court decisions, along with official summaries of them.
Clinical or theoretical text
Books by the developers of a model or by leading clinicians and scholars. Foundational theory texts are the primary source for how a model works.
Secondary summary
A summary of another source, used only alongside the original.

Verification

Verified against source
We compared specific questions and study content with this source, or the relevant part of it.
Cited, not yet verified
Content cites this source, but we haven't yet compared it with the original. Treat it as a pointer for further study.

Please keep in mind

  • Listing a source doesn't mean its authors or publishers endorse MFT Study Buddy.
  • We don't host copies of these works. Please use the publisher, a library, or a purchased copy.
  • AMFTRB doesn't recommend study materials beyond its own handbook and practice test.
  • Laws vary by state and change over time, so check your own jurisdiction. This page isn't legal advice.