ASWB Clinical Practice Exam 2025 – Complete Study Resource

The approach used by a social worker who challenges a client's negative belief about his wife's distraction is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is a therapeutic approach that focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns and behaviors. By challenging the client's negative beliefs, the social worker helps the client to recognize distorted thinking and replace it with more constructive, realistic thoughts. This process encourages emotional regulation and promotes positive behavioral changes.

In this scenario, the social worker would work with the client to explore how his belief affects his feelings and interactions within the relationship, guiding him to develop a more balanced perspective. This technique empowers the client to gain insight into how his negative beliefs are contributing to his emotional distress and relationship difficulties, ultimately fostering healthier communication and emotional responses.

The other approaches mentioned do not specifically address the challenge of negative beliefs in this way. Operant conditioning is primarily concerned with the consequences of behavior and does not directly involve cognitive processes. Classical conditioning focuses on learning through association, which is not relevant to challenging beliefs. Ego psychology emphasizes the development of the ego and its role in managing a person's impulses and interpersonal relationships, but it does not specifically involve restructuring negative thoughts as in CBT.