The Art of the Question: A Guide to Short-Term Question-Centered Therapy Hardcover - 1997 - 1st Edition

First line

To ask what makes questions important, one might just as easily wonder: "What makes language important?"

From the jacket flap

The Art of the Question A Guide to Short-Term Question-Centered Therapy "The Important Thing is not to Stop Questioning." --Albert Einstein Like the treasure hidden in broad daylight, questions are at the heart and soul of therapy. Questions, of course, do more than gather information. Often the most profound changes occur simply through asking the right questions that open clients' eyes to whole new vistas of possibilities and solutions. The Art of the Question shows therapists how to consistently make those kinds of interventions. The Art of the Question extends the range of cognitive-behavioral therapy by elaborating on the ways that internal questions program thought, emotion, and behavior. The term "internal dialogue" is routinely invoked to describe the thinking process, yet a dialogue involves statements and questions. Statements alone tell only half the story and allow only an incomplete understanding of the thinking process. Recognizing that questions drive thoughts, feelings, and actions brings unique and powerful therapeutic advantages to the fore, helping to crack the code on change. The question-driven nature of choice is one of the pillars of question-centered therapy. The Art of the Question offers practical psycho-educational tools to help clients create better choices, be more effective in the ways they make choices, and take responsibility for their decisions. Clients learn to ask questions leading to solutions and positive possibilities, rather than those focusing on problems, negativity, and limitations. They discover that healing, growth, creativity, and change are often catalyzed through the simple act of changing their questions. The Art of the Question includes:

• Question strategies for win-win marriages
• Many compelling clinical cases and vignettes
• Detailed methods for helping clients discover and transform the silent, implicit questions that program their lives
• A framework for asking questions of clients at each stage of the therapeutic process
• Illustrated psycho-educational materials for clients