Ways to Conceptualize the AMFTRB Exam.

Hey everyone! My name is Sarah Shannon and I am a coach for the AMFTRB exam. Over the years I have heard the common theme of anxiety around taking this test.  So I want to share some thoughts around how to conceptualize this test that may help.

1. Deconstruct the narrative you've been told about this test. Yes, this test is hard but it is not impossible. So, you have to figure out how to master the studying process. How and what you study may be different from someone else. 

2. The outcome of this test does not equate your value as a therapist. The test overlaps in some ways with the work we do with clients, but for the most part it is testing you on your historical knowledge, theoretical knowledge, and basic skills knowledge. The test cannot tell you whether or not you are being supportive or a good listener for your clients. It can help to separate those two things and put the test in its own category 

3. Don’t make the test your enemy. Questioning why the test is hard or why it doesn’t make sense is not going to help you pass the test. The test is asking for specific information that may or may not be relevant to what you do with clients. The test makers want to make sure therapists are competent, ethical, and knowledgeable about the history of the field, and the test is one way (not the only way) to do that.

4. Find your motivation for taking this test. This may help replace any frustration you have with the test with a sense of purpose. Why is it important for you to pass this test? What kind of opportunities does it give you? 

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