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5 Questions to Help You Move Towards Solution of a Problem


If you are human, you will have problems. Having problems means that you are normal and solving them means you are a happy normal! While the traditional therapy approaches focus on the “why” of a problem, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), moves the focus from the “why” of a problem to “how it can be solved.” Evidence suggests that SFBT is effective for treating mild or moderate depression and has also been widely used as a life-coaching strategy (Gingerich & Eisengart, 2000; Kramer et al., 2014). Here are five questions used in SFBT that you can ask yourself to find solutions for problems that impede your goals (Grant & Greene, 2001; Simon & Berg, 1997).

1. The miracle question: The miracle question goes like this:

“Suppose one night, while I am asleep, there is a miracle and the problem that I am facing is solved. However, because I am asleep, I don’t know that the miracle has already happened. When I wake up in the morning, what will be different that will tell me that the miracle has taken place?”

The miracle question helps you hone in on the solutions of a problem rather than getting stuck with the assumption that the solution of the problem is somehow connected with understanding and eliminating the problem. After responding to the miracle question, you can also ask yourself, “What part of the miracle is already happening?”

2. The scaling questions: “On a scale of 0-10, where 0 being no progress and 10 being that I have solved my problem, how would I rate my progress in solving my problem?” If your score is more than 0, then ask yourself, “How did I get up to this number from 0?” or “How is my score different than 0?” or “What makes my score not lower?” “How will I know when I move just one number higher on this scale?”

The purpose of scaling questions is to amplify strengths, positive differences, and successes, which sometimes we tend to ignore or take for granted. By asking yourself why the score is not lower, you actually increase your self-confidence and hope by becoming aware of what you have already accomplished. The question about raising the score by just one point helps you arrive at the smallest achievable next step toward solving a problem (Lutz, 2014).

3. The coping questions: When you are bogged down with a problem, you tend to ignore your strengths and coping skills that you may have used to deal with a similar problem in the past. Ask yourself:
  • “What would my loved ones see me doing now that would tell them that I am being strong and successfully handling this situation?” 
  • “What has worked well for me before?” 
4. The motivation questions: “Am I willing to do whatever it takes to make things better for me/solve this problem/achieve my goals?” You can also rate your motivation using the aforementioned scaling questions. To dig deeper into your motivation to solve a problem, ask questions that clarify your core values (Miller & Rollnick, 2013): 
  • "What do I care most about in life?"
  • "What matters most to me?"
  • "What are the rules I live by?"
  • "If I were to write a mission statement for my life, describing my goals or purpose in life, what would I write?"
Compared to your opinions and interpretations about a problem, your underlying core values provide you a far more stable compass to motivate you to solve a problem. 

5. The exception questions: When facing a problem or a difficult situation, people tend to make global statements based on irrational thought patterns such as all-or-none thinking. For example, people may say, “I am angry all the time,” “I am totally stressed,” or “He is never at home.” These global statements reflect one’s inner state of feeling hopeless and out of control. However, no one stays angry 100% of the time, for they would surely be exhausted! In other words, every problem or difficult situation has some exceptions, but you have to look for those exceptions. Ask yourself:
  • “When I have not faced this problem/felt angry (or any other emotion)?” 
  • “What did I do differently at that time?” 
  • “Why was I not feeling angry (or any other emotion)?”
The purpose of finding exceptions is to help you do more of what has worked well for you in the past when you were not facing a particular problem. This strategy allows you to build on your strengths rather than inventing new strategies and also gives you a sense that you are in control more often than you think. Oftentimes, counting the minutes, hours, or days when a problem is not happening, makes the problem seem more solvable and less intrusive in your life. For example, if you feel depressed three days in a week and that too for 4 hours each day, then it means that only 12 out of 168 hours are “depression hours.” Does this give you a more sense of control over your depression?

Of course, before using the above questions to find a solution to a problem, ensure that the problem is solvable. Problems that are unsolvable require a more emotion-focused than a solution-focused approach. This may involve either changing one's thinking or reaction to the problem or acceptance. 

To learn more about evidence-based self-management techniques that are proven to work for depression and anxiety, check out Dr. Duggal's Author Page.

HARPREET S. DUGGAL, MD, FAPA

REFERENCES

Gingerich, W. J., & Eisengart, S. (2000). Solution-focused brief therapy: a review of the outcome research. Family Process, 39, 477-498.

Grant, A. M., & Greene, J. (2001). Coach yourself: Make real change in your life. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing.

Kramer, J., Conijn, B., Oijevaar, P., & Riper, H. (2014). Effectiveness of a web-based solution-focused brief chat treatment for depressed adolescents and young adults: randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16(5), e141.

Lutz, A. B. (2104). Learning solution-focused therapy: An illustrated guide. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association. 

Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2103). Motivational interviewing. Helping people change. (3rd ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.    

Simon, J. K., & Berg, I. K. (1997). Solution-focused brief therapy with long-term problems. Directions in Rehabilitation Counseling, 10, 117-127.



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