The document discusses asking creative questions in counseling sessions. It defines open and closed questions, and notes that open questions invite clients to share more of their experience while closed questions elicit specific yes or no responses. The document demonstrates how to use the change model to ask creative questions that focus clients' attention on developing their desired state rather than problems. It includes a skills practice session where participants practice listening and questioning skills in pairs before providing feedback.

1. Asking Creative Questions
Week Eight

2. Re-Forming

3. Session Aims
Consider different types of questions and
demonstrate effective questioning

4. Learning Outcomes
By the end of this session you will be able to:
1. Recognise the difference between open and
closed questions
2. Focus a client’s attention on different areas of
their experience using the change model and
creative questions

5. Last Session
1. Practised paraphrasing skills
2. Practised reflecting feelings
3. Described the Change Model

6. Resources
Rapport, refraining, attending,
paraphrasing, reflecting feelings,
Change Model, Mercedes Model,
questioning skills, core conditions.
My mind wanders, I
I really focus on what is
interrupt and take
being said and help my
over the conversation.
clients come up with their
I try and fix people’s
own solutions
problems.
Desired State
Problem State
Attend John’s lessons,
practise the skills, use
my reflective journal
Action

7. Contents of this Session
 Open and Closed Questions
 Creative Questions using the Change Model
 Demonstration by Adam and John
 Skills practise in pairs
 Self-reflection
 Feedback to whole group

8. Open and Closed Questions

9. Ask Who?

10. Definitions
Open Questions
Invite the speaker to expand on what they have
said and share more of their experience
Closed Questions
Invite a specific response, often ‘yes’ or ‘no’. They
tend to shift people into their rational mind, taking
them out of their emotions.

11. Asking Creative Questions

12. Creative Questions
A question helps you to find out things; but where does a
person go to in their mind when you ask them a
question?

13. Creative Questions
Example
Did you have a good holiday?
The question requires the person to remember their last
holiday, sort through their holiday memories for good and
bad experiences, and then make a decision about
whether they had a good time or not.

14. Questions direct an individual’s
attention to different areas of
their experience

15. Questions and the Change Model
1. How is your depression?
2. What do you want instead?
3. What helps you feel better?
4. What would you have to do to start feeling
better?

16. Developing the Desired State
Too many of the questions we ask develop the problem state
and if we focus on a problem then the problem tends tp
gets bigger.
Of course we need to acknowledge the problem, but it’s far
more helpful if we use questions that develop the client’s
desired state and help them to find or create resources.

17. Demonstration

18. Comfort Break

19. Skills Practise and Reflection
Consider criteria (4 and
6) when completing your
self-reflection

20. Skills Practise 40 minutes
1. Work in pairs
2. Take turns being the helper and helpee
3. Take 10 minutes each
4. Helpee - talk about a small problem that’s current in your life
5. Helper – practise all your listening skills, including
paraphrasing, reflecting feelings, paraphrasing and asking an
appropriate amount of questions.
6. After 20 minutes complete the self-reflection worksheet

21. Feedback

22. Learning Outcomes
You are now able to:
1. Recognise the difference between open and
closed questions
2. Focus a client’s attention on different areas of
their experience using the change model and
creative questions

23. Next Week
Please bring your portfolio to
the class, including all your
journal entries

24. Well done Everybody!