Questioning in the Therapeutic Process

Each question in the therapeutic process should conform to the following template:

• Problem – each question is about a ‘problem’ or ‘symptom’
• Space – each question is located on the ‘inside’ or the ‘outside’ – there is no question that is not located in space
• Time – each question is located in the ‘past’, ‘present’, or ‘future’ – there is no question that is not located in time
• Pattern – each question is about (at least) one of ‘behaviour’, ’emotions’ / ‘affect’, ‘meaning’  or ‘belief’ – most questions are about pattern
• Contract – some questions are about the contractual basis of the therapeutic or service delivery process – the point and purpose, and the terms and conditions, of that therapeutic process – ‘request’ of the client, referrer, other parties, funding bodies, or statutory institutions
• Problem Solving – some questions are about the various elements of problem solving – ‘explanations’, ‘previous advice’, ‘previous interventions’, ‘hypotheses’, ‘descriptions’.
• Inequality – some questions are directly about the experience of all the allocation of ‘responsibility’ and ‘authority’ – all questions imply something about inequality, responsibility and authority