NCE Study Guide

Episode Description 

In this episode of the NCE Study Guide, we explore the domain of Assessment and Testing, one of the most technical—and crucial—areas of the NCE. This session is grounded in our May 3rd, 2025 study group, where Tiffany shared her journey navigating complex concepts like z-scores, validity types, and ethical test use.

You’ll learn why assessment is not just about test-taking but about making accurate, client-centered decisions in practice. We break down key terms, offer metaphors to simplify abstract ideas, and model how these topics appear on the NCE. You'll also get a quiz with detailed explanations to sharpen your test-taking strategy.

This episode aligns with the Assessment and Testing Work Behavior Domain and the CACREP core area of Assessment, helping you build both confidence and competence.

If you find this helpful, please leave a 5-star review—it helps more future counselors find their way. And don’t forget to join our free weekly study group (email [email protected]).

CACREP Core Area: Assessment and Testing

In this episode:

• Learn how to differentiate reliability vs. validity
• Understand z-scores, bell curves, and percentile ranks
• Explore how assessments protect client well-being
• Practice with 5 NCE-style questions and explanations
• Hear how Tiffany uses real-world context to retain testing concepts

Takeaways:

• Think like a counselor, not a memorizer
• Ethical test use = accurate, equitable care
• Assessment is your decision-making flashlight

Study Group Highlight:
Tiffany’s story inspired this module. Her insight into struggling with technical content—and learning how to visualize it with clients in mind—makes this one of our most relatable and practical episodes yet.

Join us Saturdays at 11 AM Pacific – email [email protected] to attend!

The Study Group is a space for listeners of this podcast to meet and discuss their NCE prep.

This episode isn’t just about prepping for a test—it’s about building community, owning your learning process, and redefining what success looks like in the face of pressure. Whether you’re weeks away or years out, this one’s for you. Let’s study smarter, together.

You can request to join the study group by emailing [email protected]

Cassian Andor didn’t just escape a crash — he landed in the middle of a fractured rebellion, where mistrust, fear, and instinct rule the day.
In this episode, we explore the early chaos of the Rebel Alliance through the lens of the human brain: the survival-driven basal ganglia, the emotional currents of the limbic system, and the emerging wisdom of the neocortex.

You'll meet the Maya Pei Brigade — not just a group of bickering rebels, but a mirror of your own nervous system under pressure.

Guided by a binaural beat soundscape (think: a bacta tank for your brain), we dive into how hope survives through the chaos, how awareness can strengthen fractured alliances within, and why embracing your own shadows is the ultimate act of rebellion.

Dedicated to my sister — and to anyone learning how to trust their own fragile, powerful thread of hope.

Because the rebellion isn't just out there.

It's inside you.

Episode 1 – More Than Your Fear

When Cassian Andor climbs into a TIE fighter he’s never flown before, you feel your shoulders tense. You know he’s going to survive—this is a prequel, after all. But your body doesn’t care. That dissonance? It’s limbic resonance. And it’s just the beginning.

In this premiere episode of Accidental Therapy, Glenn Ostlund breaks down how Andor Season 2 uses cinematic storytelling to activate your nervous system—blurring the lines between what you think and what you feel. You’ll explore:

• Why your brain can’t always calm your body
• The evolution of fear through the basal ganglia, limbic system, and neocortex
• Cassian Andor as a model of nervous system mastery
• The Force as a metaphor for emotional regulation
• Nightmares, trauma echoes, and felt experience as emotional reality
• How to become your own inner rebel alliance through mindfulness and Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Whether you're a therapist, a Star Wars fan, or someone simply trying to breathe more deeply in a chaotic world, this episode is for the Nia inside all of us.

💥 Subscribe for weekly episodes exploring the intersection of pop culture, psychology, and personal transformation.

In this episode of the NCE Study Guide, we dive deep into one of the most testable and misunderstood areas of the NCE: Group Dynamics.

Learn to recognize and navigate the five stages of group development—forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning—and how they show up in NCE-style scenarios.

We break down real-world examples of group member roles (like the scapegoat and monopolizer), the emotional rhythm of group counseling, and essential terms like universality, cohesion, catharsis, and more.

Featuring practical tips and a 5-question mini quiz, this episode will help you think like a counselor, not just a test-taker.

Brought to you by Glenn Ostlund and the NCE Study Guide community.

📧 Join our free Saturday study group: [email protected]
⭐ Like what you hear? Leave us a 5-star review to help more counselors find us!

Tags: #NCEprep #GroupCounseling #CounselorExam #MentalHealth #StudyGuide #Tuckman #Yalom #NCEstrategies

Carl Jung – Archetypes, Shadow Work, and Counseling Applications

Episode Description:

In this episode of the NCE Study Guide, we take a deep dive into the foundational ideas of Carl Jung—his theories, legacy, and practical relevance for the National Counselor Examination. This module was inspired by Lily, a forward-thinking member of our Saturday study group who requested a focused exploration of Jungian psychology.

You’ll learn how concepts like the collective unconscious, archetypes, the Shadow, and individuation can show up on the NCE—not just in theory questions, but embedded in case vignettes that require symbolic, spiritual, or depth-oriented interpretation. We also explore Jung’s influence on transpersonal counseling, multicultural sensitivity, and personality assessments like the MBTI.

This resource is part of a growing, collaborative study effort. If you’d like to join the weekly Zoom group (Saturdays at 11 a.m. PT), suggest a topic, or ask a question, send an email to [email protected]. And if you find this podcast helpful, please consider leaving a 5-star rating—it helps others find us!

At the beginning of this episode, you’ll also hear the voice of Carl Jung himself with a quote that invites self-reflection and curiosity—a perfect mindset for both the exam and the counseling profession.

Let’s get started.

Case Study Module 10: Maya, the Young Girl with Big Worries

This case study module presents a fictional scenario designed to prepare you for the NCE by examining key clinical competencies: ethical considerations, appropriate diagnoses, applicable modalities and interventions, and core exam content areas. Each module ends with an NCE-style quiz to reinforce your understanding and retention.

Case Overview:
Maya, an 8-year-old girl, presents with separation anxiety and school refusal following a recent move. This case includes child-specific assessment tools, play therapy, and CBT for kids, along with a family systems approach to support consistent parenting strategies and emotional safety in treatment planning.

In this first grassroots Zoom session of the NCE Study Group, Glenn brings together a diverse group of counseling students and recent test-takers from across the country—each with a unique story, study style, and set of challenges. One participant shares how a literal storm disrupted her exam and led to a second chance. Another reflects on the difficulty of connecting theory to real-life practice. The conversation touches on test anxiety, learning styles, why the “purple book” might not be enough, and how to approach the NCE as a skill-based, pattern-recognition test—not just memorization.

Glenn also shares the backstory behind his NCE Study Guide Podcast and the AI tools he uses to generate custom study modules. The group discusses the pros and cons of taking the exam at home vs. at a testing center, strategies for managing silence in therapy, and the surprising weight career and group counseling sections carry on the exam.

This episode isn’t just about prepping for a test—it’s about building community, owning your learning process, and redefining what success looks like in the face of pressure. Whether you’re weeks away or years out, this one’s for you. Let’s study smarter, together.

You can request to join the study group by emailing [email protected]

Case Study Module 9: Carlos, the Man with Many Masks

This case study module presents a fictional scenario designed to prepare you for the NCE by examining key clinical competencies: ethical considerations, appropriate diagnoses, applicable modalities and interventions, and core exam content areas. Each module ends with an NCE-style quiz to reinforce your understanding and retention.

Case Overview:
Carlos, a 38-year-old Latino male, is court-mandated to attend a domestic violence offender group. This case explores legal-ethical practice, group norms, and behavior change through the Duluth Model, CBT, and Motivational Interviewing. You'll examine how to support accountability in mandated clients while practicing cultural humility.

Case Study Module 8: Linda, the Grieving Widow

This case study module presents a fictional scenario designed to prepare you for the NCE by examining key clinical competencies: ethical considerations, appropriate diagnoses, applicable modalities and interventions, and core exam content areas. Each module ends with an NCE-style quiz to reinforce your understanding and retention.

Case Overview:
Linda, a 68-year-old woman, struggles with prolonged grief after losing her husband. This case highlights Worden’s Tasks of Mourning, Gestalt Therapy, and Narrative work in supporting older adults. You'll also explore assessment of complicated grief, somatic expression, and ethical care with aging clients.