Solution-focused Therapy Techniques - The Miracle Question

Question 1

What is the miracle question?

Answer 1

The miracle question is asking the client to imagine a future where their problem, or barrier to their goals doesn’t has been removed, and to explore how that change had been brought about.

Question 2

What is the purpose of the miracle question?

Answer 2

To help both the client and the counsellor understand what it is that the client actually wants (I.e., the clients goal or preferred future).

Question 3

What is an example of a miracle question?

Answer 3

“Imagine when you go to sleep one night a miracle happens and the problem we’ve been talking about disappears. As you were asleep, you did not know that a miracle had happened. When you woke up what would be the first signs for you that a miracle had happened?

Question 4

Is the wording of the standard miracle question suitable for every client?

Answer 4

No. It might not be suitable for every client based upon their cultural or religious beliefs.

Question 5

How can the miracle question be reworded to be more relevant for not only the client’s cultural beliefs, but also their situation?

Answer 5

The ‘miracle’ could be replaced with a ‘magic wand’, a ‘superpower’, a ‘dream’, or a ‘future meeting’

Question 6

What is the fundamental structure and essence of the miracle question?

Answer 6

To get the client to envision a situation in which the problem/barrier is removed and for them to really get in touch with the experience of this situation.

Question 7

What is the purpose of the miracle question?

Answer 7

To help the client envision a problem-free future.

Question 8

If the miracle question is delivered awkwardly, how may the client respond?

Answer 8

The client may become disengaged.

Question 9

How can the counsellor increase the likelihood that the client will be receptive to the miracle question?

Answer 9

One way of increasing successful delivery is by preparing the clients state of mind or obtaining their consent.

Question 10

Why is it important to prepare the clients state of mind?

Answer 10

So that they may be willing to engage in an atypical conversation.

Question 11

What sort of questions might the counsellor ask to prepare the clients frame of mind?

Answer 11

“Is it ok if I ask you a strange question?”
“Would you be willing to play along if I ask a somewhat odd question?”

Question 12

What is the purpose of asking these ‘permission’ questions?

Answer 12

It signals to the client to change their frame of mind so that they are better able to enter a more fanciful, creative conversation.

Question 13

In what manner should the miracle question be asked?

Answer 13

Very gently and thoughtful

Question 14

Why should the counsellor pause after asking the miracle question?

Answer 14

To allow the client to really consider this question.

Question 15

How should the counsellor respond if the client answers with “I have no idea”, or “I don’t know”?

Answer 15

The counsellor should remain in encouraging silence to allow the client to really consider this question.

Question 16

Why might the counsellor use visualisation techniques?

Answer 16

To help the client really ‘experience’ the preferred future.

Question 17

What should the counsellor do if the client still doesn’t know how to respond?

Answer 17

The counsellor could use prompt questions and encourage the client to think about some specifics

Question 18

What are some of these prompt questions?

Answer 18

“What would be the first thing you would notice?”
“What would you feel that was different “
What would you see that was different?”
“What would you do that was different?”

Question 19

What is a ‘follow-up’ question?

Answer 19

A question that is asked after the client begins to describe what’s different.

Question 20

What is the purpose of the ‘follow-up’ question?

Answer 20

To elicit more meaning from the client about their preferred future and help the client make this imagined future more concrete.

Question 21

Follow up question example one:

Answer 21

What else will be different?

Question 22

Follow up question example two:

Answer 22

What might others notice about you that would tell them that the miracle has happened, that things are different?

Question 23

Follow up question example three:

Answer 23

Have there been times when you have seen pieces of this miracle happen?

Question 24

Miracle question example four:

Answer 24

What’s the first step that you can take to begin to make this miracle happen?

Question 25

Miracle question example 5:

Answer 25

Now choose the smallest, least significant thing that you would be doing if your problem had gone, that you don’t already do; I am going to invite you to act “as-if” your problem was gone for the rest of today and to experiment with this one small change.

Question 26

What should the counsellor do if the client describes a future that is unlikely to happen (such as winning the lottery)?

Answer 26

These sorts of answers can still begin a useful conversation that reveals the serious hopes and dreams of the client. The counsellor may respond with something such as “let’s say the miracle isn’t that big and all it does is set your life moving in the direction of …..”

Question 27

What does the miracle question shift the emphasis from?

Answer 27

It shifts the emphasis from the past to a possible future that does not contain the problem.

Question 28

What is the purpose behind the miracle question? I.e., how is it used?

Answer 28

It is used to allow the client to determine what they would like to achieve in counselling and to begin setting goals in order to reach that future.

Question 29

Is goal setting an important part of solution-focused therapy?

Answer 29

Yes!