Why Ask This Question?
A therapist asks, “Why not a 1 or 2?” after a client gives a 3 on a scaling question.
What is eliciting strengths that keep the situation from being worse?
Asking a client to rate their situation from 0–10.
What is a scaling question?
A client says they are at a 4 on the scale. The therapist wants to elicit how to get the score higher.
What is “What would be one thing could raise the score just 1 point higher?”
This assumption explains why therapists ask about strengths and coping.
What is clients have resources to solve their problems?
This SFT opening question is used early in the first session to identify the client’s goals.
What is “What are your best hopes from our time together?”
A therapist asks, “What would you be doing instead if things were better?”
What is developing the preferred future?
Asking a client to imagine that something happened overnight that solved the problem.
What is the miracle question?
A client starts their response to a question with "I wouldn't be..."
What is: "What would you be doing instead?"
A client is an expert of their own life
Near the end of the first session, therapists often use this technique to measure where the client currently sees themselves relative to their preferred future.
What is a scaling question?
A therapist asks, “How have you managed to get through this so far?”
What is eliciting coping strategies?
Starting a session by discussing hobbies, interests, or recent positive events.
What is non-problem talk?
A client tells you things have been better since last session
“How did you make that happen?" OR “How did you manage to take such a big step?
This assumption explains why therapists focus on exceptions
What is change is always happening?
A therapist uses “How have you managed to get through this so far?” to identify this in a client.
What are strengths and/or coping skills?
A therapist asks, “Who would notice if things started getting better?”
What is identifying social support and key community?
A therapist begins the session by asking about hobbies, interests, or recent positive experiences before discussing the problem.
What is non-problem talk?
A client shares frustration that things have not improved since last session.
“How did you manage to keep things from getting worse?”
OR
“How did you manage to remain stable?
This assumption explains why therapists look for small improvements on scales.
What is small changes lead to larger changes?
A therapist uses this question to understand situations, patterns, and triggers related to the problem.
“When or where does this problem tend to show up the most?”
A therapist asks, “What was different about that time when things went better?”
What is exploring exceptions?
A therapist highlights client strengths, efforts, or progress using this intervention.
What are compliments?
A client responds with "I don't know"
What is silence or "I know, its a hard question"
This assumption explains why therapists avoid spending too much time analyzing the root causes of problems.
What is understanding the problem is not necessary to build solutions?
In early sessions, SFT therapists use this framework to determine if the client is a visitor, complainant, or customer.
What are client relationship types?