A brief description of possibility therapy. Please keep in mind, there is so much more to this counseling theory when used in therapy

1. POSSIBILITY THERAPY
RANDY WILHELM

2. POSSIBILITY THERAPY
NOTABLE CONTRIBUTORS
William
Hudson
O’Hanlon
Milton H.
Erickson
Henderson, D. A., Thompson, C. L., & Thompson,
C. L. (2016).

3. POSSIBILITY
THERAPY
SOLUTION-FOCUSED
HELPED POSSIBILITY
THERAPY FORM
Problem Focused Solution-focused
Focus is on feelings/emotions Focus is on seeing (meaning) and doing.
Looking for faults is important Designing solutions is important
The client’s view is no good. The client’s view is validated (which makes
letting go of a point of view easier).
Whose fault is it? What does the client think should happen?
Motivation is called into question. Motivation is sought and used
The past is important The future is important
The professional confronts The professional accepts the client’s view and
asks: “In what way does that help?”
The professional persuades the client. The professional lets him or herself be
persuaded by the client
Big changes are needed A small change is often enough
Resources must be acquired Necessary resources are already present
Theory-determined conversation is used Client-determined conversation is used
Insight into or understanding of the problem
is precondition
Insight into or understanding of the problem
comes with or after the change
Theory of change is the professionals Theory of change is the client’s; the
professional asks: “How will this help you?”
The problem is always present The problem is not ever always presentBannink, F.
(2010).

4. POSSIBILITY
THERAPY
VALIDATING
AND FREEING
THE
SYMPTOM
Symptom Induction Healing Induction
It’s okay, Invalidation; blame; violating
boundaries
Validation; permission; respecting
boundaries
Mystification; binds; double binds Possibility Words and Phrases
Coalitions; secrets; negative dissociation Helpful distinctions
Predictions of failure or trouble; threats Posthypnotic suggestions; presuppositions
of health/healing
Rigid role assignment; mind reading Positive attributions; avoidance of intrusive
interpretations
Repetition of negative
experiences/injurious/self-injurious
behavior
Opening of possibilities for changes in
experience or behavior
Negative injunctions (You can’t, you
shouldn’t, you will, you are)
Empowering/permissive affirmations (you
can, you may, its okay, you could, you have
the ability to, you don’t have to)
Repression; amnesia Reversible forgetting/remembering
Symptomatic Trance is repetitive and self-devaluing, and closes down possibilities. It is
a repetition of past states of being that are not updated to fit with current contexts.
Self as more than symptom is forgotten.
Healing trance is validating, empowering, and opens up possibilities. It is responsive to
current contexts. Self as more than symptom is remembered.
OHanlon, B., & Bertolino, B.
(2002).

5. DISSOLVING IMPOSSIBILITY TALK
Spinning Problems into the Past- Use the past tense when people speak
about current problems or limitations.
• Statement: “I can’t do anything right.”. Your response: “You haven’t done anything
right.”
Problems into
the Past
Going Un-global- Respond to generalized statements by restating them with slight
changes in the quantifiers and qualifiers.
•Statement: “Nobody listens.” Your response: It’s been close to impossible to get people to listen.
Un-global
Spinning Reality/Truth Claims into Perceptions- Limitations are often less in
reality than in peoples’ perceptions. Reflect limitation statements by
inserting perception phrases into them.
• Statement “He’ll never change.” Your response: “Your sense is that he really can’t
change.”
Claims into
Perceptions
O'Hanlon, W.
H.

6. Instill Possibility:
• Use words such as yet, so far, when, will; to instill a sense
of possibility. These words presuppose that even though
things feel stuck in the present, at some point in the
future things will change. Lets clients see “light at the end
of the tunnel.”
• Refer to problems in the past tense: “were, have been,” vs
“are”
• To show exceptions: Yet, still, however, nevertheless, in
spite of, despite of, of course, once in awhile, sometimes.
O'Hanlon, W.
H.

7. CREATIVELY MISUNDERSTAND

8. IDENTIFYIN
G THE
PROBLEM
• VIDEOTALK-HAVING THE PERSON DESCRIBE THE
DOING OF THE PROBLEM. WE MIGHT ASK A PERSON
TO DESCRIBE TO US THE “DOING” OF SELF-
MUTILATION. WHEN? WHAT PARTS, KINDS?
FOCUSING ON THE DOING HELPS ISOLATE THE
PROBLEM. BUT HOW DO WE KNOW IT IS A
PROBLEM?
A THERAPEUTICALLY ADDRESSABLE PROBLEM:
• MUST OCCUR REPETITIVELY.
• MUST BE DISTINGUISHED AND ATTENDED TO
• MUST BE VALUED NEGATIVELY (AS BAD, WRONG,
SICK ETC.)
• MUST BE CONSIDERED TO BE INVOLUNTARILY IN AT
LEAST SOME ASPECT.
OHanlon, B., & Bertolino, B.
(2002).

9. MAIN
WAYS TO
INTERVE
NE A
PATTERN
• FREQUENCY/RATE
• DURATION
• TIME OF WHEN THE
SYMPTOM OCCURS
• LOCATION
• INTENSITY
• SOME OTHER QUALITY OR
CIRCUMSTANCE
• SEQUENCE (ORDER) OF
EVENTS
• CREATING A SHORT-
CIRCUIT IN THE SEQUENCE
• INTERRUPTING OR
OTHERWISE PREVENTING
ALL OR PART OF THE
SEQUENCE (DERAILING)
• ADDING OR SUBTRACTING (AT
LEAST) ONE ELEMENT TO OR
FROM THE SEQUENCE
WHOLE ELEMENT INTO SMALLER
ELEMENTS
• HAVE THE SYMPTOM
PERFORMED WITHOUT THE
PATTERN
• HAVE THE SYMPTOM PATTERN
PERFORMED MINUS THE
SYMPTOM
• REVERSING THE PATTERN
• LINKING THE OCCURRENCE OF
THE SYMPTOM-PATTERN TO
ANOTHER PATTERN-USUALLY
AN UNDESIRED EXPERIENCE, AN
AVOIDED ACTIVITY, OR A
DESIRABLE BUT DIFFICULT-TO-
ATTAIN GOAL (SYMPTOM
CONTINGENT TASK).
OHanlon, B., & Bertolino, B.
(2002).

10. OHanlon, W. H.
(1987).

11. THIS ACTIVITY IS A VARIATION OF THE MIRACLE
QUESITON
PEERING INTO A CRYSTAL BALL THAT SYMBOLIZES
THE FUTURE, ENVISION HOW YOUR PROBLEM IS NO
LONGER A PROBLEM.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE?
WHERE ARE YOU AT? IS ANYONE ELSE PRESENT?
HOW DID THE SOLUTION ARISE?
WHAT OCCURRED IN THERAPY THAT HELPED YOU
MOVE ON?
OHanlon, B., & Bertolino, B. (2002).
O'Hanlon, W. H.

12. REFERENCES
BANNINK, F. (2010). 1001 SOLUTION-FOCUSED QUESTIONS: HANDBOOK FOR SOLUTION-FOCUSED
INTERVIEWING. (PP.
12). NEW YORK: W.W. NORTON
HENDERSON, D. A., THOMPSON, C. L., & THOMPSON, C. L. (2016). COUNSELING CHILDREN. (PP. 309).
AUSTRALIA:
CENGAGE LEARNING.
OHANLON, B., & BERTOLINO, B. (2002). EVEN FROM A BROKEN WEB: BRIEF AND RESPECTFUL
SOLUTION-ORIENTED
THERAPY FOR SEXUAL ABUSE AND TRAUMA. NEW YORK, LONDON: W.W. NORTON.
OHANLON, W. H. (1987). TAPROOTS: UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES OF MILTON ERICKSONS THERAPY AND
HYPNOSIS. NEW
YORK: NORTON
O'HANLON, W. H. THERAPEUTIC TALK: THE LANGUAGE OF CHANGE. RETRIEVED JUNE 3, 2019, FROM
HTTP://WWW.BILLOHANLON.COM/OZ/FILES/THERAPEUTICTALKHANDOUTS.PDF