Solution-Focused Questions

[Daniel E.]

Solution-focused brief therapy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Example solution-focused coaching prompts include:

• What are grounds for optimism?
• 0–10, what would be different at +1 on your scale?
• What would others notice at +1?
• When does your perfect future happen, even a little bit?
• How did you make that happen?
• Where in your life have you overcome similar problems?
• Who believes you could do this?
• What other resources do you have that can help?
• Supposed the problem went away overnight: How would you know?
• What would you notice was different?
• Describe concrete observable behaviours – from different points of view: boss, colleagues, friends, computer?
• What else? What else? What else?
• What would you like to happen?
• How will you know you've achieved it?
• What was the best you ever did (at this thing)?
• What will be the first signs that you're getting better?
• What would your family, your partner, your friends and strangers notice is different about you?
• What will be difference since your last catch up with me?

 

[Daniel E.]

Solution-Focused Questions for Anxiety

1. Scaling questions using client’s language-e.g., 0=paralyzed; 10=absolutely no fear. Especially invite describing the positive state (calm, relaxed, etc.) --in client’s own words. 2. How were you able to stop obsessing? 3. How did you manage to increase your calm? 4. What will it look...

forum.psychlinks.ca

1. Scaling questions using client’s language-e.g., 0=paralyzed; 10=absolutely no fear.
Especially invite describing the positive state (calm, relaxed, etc.) --in client’s own words.

2. How were you able to stop obsessing?

3. How did you manage to increase your calm?

4. What will it look like when you’re comfortable?

5. Tell me about a time when you were calm. Wow! How did you do that?

6. Tell me about a time when anxiety wasn’t a problem.

7. Tell me about a time when you had some anxiety and got through it.

8. Tell me about a time when the anxiety was a little less.

9. Tell me about a time when you were starting to move into panic but didn’t.

10. How did you keep panic from happening?

11. When you are comfortable, what will your body be telling you that’s different?

12. When you are relaxed, what will you be saying to other people? What will they notice about
you?

13. What will you be doing instead?

14. How will the realization that anxiety is a common reaction help you?

15. Tell me about a time when being energized helped you to be at your best. How did it help you
do exactly what you needed to do? Wow!

 

[Daniel E.]

A Language of Hope: The Top Ten Solution-Focused Translations · Solution-Focused Therapy Institute

solutionfocused.net

"You must have a good reason?"

Asking clients their good reasons for behaviors that appear harmful (i.e.) self-harm, drug use, staying in a domestically violent relationship, to name a few, reveals how clients engage in these behaviors because in some ways they are useful and beneficial for them. The question does not condone the behavior but instead helps to understand the client’s motivation to do what they are doing. This can help lead the conversation towards alternatives.