THERAPY SESSION QUESTIONS

BEGINNING A SESSION

Why are you seeking therapy?

Have you been in therapy before?
What was your experience like?
What do you hope to get from therapy?
Have you ever been diagnosed with any mental illness?
What are your symptoms?
Do you have a history of mental health in your family?
What do you feel is wrong in your life?
Do you have a family history of mental health struggles?
How is your home life and work life?
Do you have a history of self-harm or suicidal ideation?
What do you want to accomplish in your sessions?
How have you been coping with the problem(s) that brought you to
therapy?
How is that a problem for you?
How do you think that is a problem for the other person or people?
What is the least that you would like to achieve?
What would you like to be different because of these sessions?
What would go better if the problem were solved?
What would be a good outcome for you?
What would your preferred future be?
How are your relationships to the people in your life?
How did you manage to get out of bed and make it here today?

PROBLEM ASSESSMENT

How do you see the problem?

How would you define the biggest challenge you’re facing right now?
What are the things or people in your life that are causing problems?
How does this problem typically make you feel?
How do you feel when a problem pops up unexpectedly?
Do you feel sad, mad, hopeless, stuck, or something else?
How often do you experience the problem?
How have you been coping with the problem(s) that brought you into
therapy?
What have you tried so far?
What do you think caused the situation to worsen?
How does the problem affect how you feel about yourself?
What avenues have you pursued in the past that have worked well to
solve the problem?
Tell me about a time when you were not experiencing these difficulties.
If things have improved, then how did you make It happen (strengths
and resiliencies)?
How did you make that happen?
How did you manage to take such a big step?
What did you tell yourself to help you do it that way?
What will you do to keep this going?

PROBING QUESTIONS

What resources were used for the …?

What criteria did you use to…?
Why do you think this is the case?
What do you think would happen if…?
What sort of impact do you think…?
How did you decide…?
How did you come to that conclusion?
How did you determine…?
How did you conclude…?
What is the connection between… and…?
What if the opposite were true? Then what?
Can you give me an example of that?
How does this affect you?
What might cause that, do you think?
Can you fill me in on the details?

CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS

Did I understand correctly when you said…?

Did I hear you correctly when you said...?
Am I correct is saying that…?
Correct me if I’m wrong but, is this what you were feeling…
Am I getting this right…?
Is this what you said…?
Is this what you said...?
Did I hear you say...?
Did I understand you when you said...?
What criteria did you use to...?
What’s another way you might...?
Did I paraphrase what you said correctly?

EMOTION ASSESSMENT

How would you describe your mood?

Describe your typical daily mood. Is your mood like a roller coaster, or is
it pretty steady?
What energizes you and makes you feel more upbeat?
What brings you down or makes you feel blue?
How do you typically handle irritations, aggravations, and frustrations?
Do you get mad easily?
How does your anger come out?
Do you feel mad when you don’t get your way or lose control?
How do you get yourself out of a bad mood?
We all use different strategies to cope. Do you find yourself reaching
for caffeine, drugs, alcohol, sex, shopping, the internet, or something
else to make you feel better?
What have people close to you told you about your moods?
What would it take for you to feel happier or more at peace?
How do you think your moods affect your relationships?
Are you more emotional or less emotional than other people? Why do
you think so?
What makes you feel nervous?
How can you calm your nerves?
Are you generally a positive person or a negative person? Why do you
think so?
What feeling do you want to stop?
Think of what information that feeling is telling you.

NEED ASSESSMENT

How often do you get to meet up with friends?

Can you and your partner really talk together?
How are you sleeping these days?
Are you happy with your diet?
How much exercise are you getting?
Is there anyone who you feel really understands you and is close to you?
What choice do you have about what happens in your life?
Do you have a clear sense of where you want to take things in life?
Do you feel excited by stuff in your life?
What involvement do you have with people around you?
Do you feel you have purpose?
Do you feel safe at home?
What needs do you have that you feel aren’t met?

RELATIONSHIP ASSESSMENT

Tell me about the important relationships in your life.

What is the nature of your relationships with your family members?
What is the nature of your relationships with your friends/peers?
Do you have a good relationship with your parents?
Tell me about your relationship with your parents.
What was it like growing up in your family?
What do people keep doing that you dislike, and what do you wish they
would change?
What wrongs have been done to you that you haven’t forgiven?
What do you believe in, having quality of friends or quantity of friends?
How connected do you feel to people around you?
Do you have supportive people in your life?
Do you ever feel that your actions/behaviors/mood causes strain in
your relationships?
Are you currently happy in your relationship?
What could you do to be happier in your relationship?
Do you feel emotionally close to your partner?
Do you think your partner cares about you?
Do you feel loved?
Do you fight often? If so, what are the common topics?
How would you describe an ideal relationship?
What are you willing to do to improve your relationship?
Do you truly care about your partner?
Do you feel happy in your relationship?
How would your lives be like if you decide to separate?
How do you truly feel about your relationship?
Do you trust your partner?
What are the things you love about your partner?
What are the things you can’t stand about your partner?
Do you feel accepted by your partner?
What do you love most about your partner?

COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR ASSESSMENT

What were you feeling right before you did that?

What happens to you physically before this happens? Do you feel sick?
How do you normally act right before this happens?
What thoughts go through your mind before this happens?
Where and when does this usually happen?
Do you do this with everyone, or just when you are around certain
people?
How do you feel immediately after this occurs?
Do you have any bodily sensations after this happens, like trembling?
How do you react after this behavior occurs?
What do you think about after this happens?
Are you in a different place when this behavior ends?
Are there any people who make this behavior worse? Make it better?
Does this behavior get your attention in some way?
What good things happen as a result of this behavior?
Does this help you in some way?
Do you feel a certain rush from doing this?
Does this behavior help you avoid something you don’t want to do?
What evidence is there that this thought is true?
What evidence is there that this thought is not true?
What would you tell someone you loved if they were in this situation and
had these thoughts?
If your automatic thought is true, what is the worst that could happen?
If your automatic thought is true, what is the best thing that could
happen?
What is a more balanced view that more accurately reflects the facts?
Is there an alternative way of thinking about the situation?
Can someone you trust understand this situation in a different way?
Tell about the main issues that you face due to your thought patterns?
Are your behaviors actively creating the life you want to live?
Do you have any recurrent behaviors?
Do you have any recurrent thoughts?
Have you ever tried to break the chain of negative thinking?
How do you feel immediately after this occurs?
Does this behavior help you avoid something you don’t want to do?
What consequences have you faced because of…
Have you felt “punished” due to this behavior?
Have you felt a “positive” consequence for this behavior?
Do you feel happy in your relationship?
How would your lives be like if you decide to separate?
How do you truly feel about your relationship?
Do you trust your partner?
What are the things you love about your partner?
What are the things you can’t stand about your partner?
Do you feel accepted by your partner?
What do you love most about your partner?

SUICIDAL IDEATION & PLAN ASSESSMENT

Do you think about your own death or about dying?

Have you ever thought of harming yourself or trying to take your own
life?
When did you begin to experience these thoughts and feelings?
What happened before you had them?
Were there events in your life that preceded this such as a sudden loss
or feelings of depression?
How frequently have you had these thoughts and feelings?
Do these thoughts intrude into your thinking and activities?
Have you ever acted upon these thoughts?
Do your thoughts command you to act upon them?
How many times have you tried to harm yourself?
What happened in your previous attempts to self-harm or take your life?
How severe were your injuries?
What were your thoughts just before you harmed yourself?
What did you anticipate would be the outcome of your self-harm or
suicide attempt?
What did you think would be the response of others to your self-harm or
suicide?
How did you get help afterward?
How do you feel about your own future?
Are you having any thoughts of harming other people?
Are there others who you think would be unable to go on without you?

CRISIS INTERVENTION ASSESSMENT

What happened to cause the crisis?

How are you trying to solve the crisis? What is working? What is not
working?
How did you behave before and after the crisis?
What is a triggering experience for you?
Has anything like this happened to you before? How was it handled?
Where do you feel you could use the most help when handling this
crisis?
What is your history of handling other crises? What was successful?
What was not successful?
What do you think are your psychological strengths?
What do you think are the environmental strengths?
What do you see as two or three most important problems to be worked
on immediately?
How life threatening is the situation? Immediately? In the near future?
What things are likely to stand in the way of successful crisis resolution?

CHANGE ASSESSMENT
What makes you think it might be time for a change?
What happens when you change your problematic or unhealthy
behavior?
What will It be like for you?
What’s different about (quitting smoking, improving your exercise, diet,
etc.) this time?
What makes you think you need to change?
What will happen if you don’t change?
What would be the good things about changing your unhealthy
behavior?
Why do you think others are concerned about your unhealthy behavior?
What keeps happening repeatedly that keeps you from achieving
change?
What three easy steps can change your situation for the better?
What additional changes would you like to see?
 GOAL SETTING QUESTIONS

What is the purpose of your visit?

How is that a problem for you?
How do you think that is a problem for the other person or people?
What is the least that you would like to achieve?
In an ideal world, what would you like to achieve at best?
What would you like to be different as a result of these sessions?
What would go better if the problem were solved?
What would be a good outcome for you?
What difference would that make?
What will be different in your life when you have reached your goal?
How would that change make a difference for you?
How will you know that you have reached your goal?
What else would you like to achieve?
What else will be different when you have reached your goal?
What would make this session worthwhile for you?
What is the best that could happen?
When will you consider these sessions a success?
What will you do when you have solved your problem?

EXCEPTION QUESTIONS

What is already better?

What else has helped so far?
What is different about those times?
What did you do differently in the past?
What other successes have you had in the past?
What do you think you did to make that happen?
What would the important people in your life say is different then?
What happens when the problem becomes less of a problem?
Who needs to do what to make that happen again?
What has changed since you made an appointment for this session?
How did you notice that change?

COPING QUESTIONS

How do you manage to…?

How did you previously manage to…?
How did you know what was needed?
How do you think you did that?
How have you tackled the problem up to now, and what has helped?
How did you find the courage to…?
What gave you the strength to…?
How can you make it easier for you to perform the desired behavior?
How do you manage to stop that undesired behavior?
How did you find out that these are ways that work for you?
How do you manage to stay on the right track?
What is already going well and doesn’t need to change?
How can you do more of what is already going well?
If you had a month-long vacation, what would you do?
How do you spend your leisure time?
What do you like about yourself?
What do you do better than others?
What activities do you find relaxing?
Have you ever conquered a bad habit? How?
How did you see your parents deal with similar situations?
How does your faith help you?
How do you manage to keep your head above water?
What do we need to discuss for this session to be useful?
In your opinion, what else needs to happen for things to go better?
What do you do to control the urge to engage in an undesired
behavior?

SCALING QUESTIONS

What is better since the previous session?

What is different or is going differently?
On a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is the worst and 10 is the best, where
are you today? How did you manage it?
What would one step higher look like?
How would you notice you have gone up one point?
How do you keep from being at a lower number?
What do you see as a next step?
What would be the very smallest step that you could take?
What is the highest number at which you’ve ever been?
 PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS ASSESSMENT

DEPRESSION
Have you ever had a period where you felt down? Not just for a week or
two but for many weeks or, perhaps, months?
Did you find you had no energy, had no interest in things, and overall
had great difficulty functioning?
Has this ever happened to you before?

HYPOMANIA
In the past, have you ever had a period where you felt not just good,
but better than good?
Did this feeling of unusually high energy and a decreased need for
sleep go on not for hours or an evening, but for days and days at a
time?

GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER

Would you describe yourself as a chronic worrier?

Would others say you are someone who is always worrying about
things?
Do you worry about anything and everything as opposed to just one or
two things?
If so, how long has this been going on?
Some people tell me that they are worriers but they can usually handle
it. Other people tell me that they are such severe worriers that they find
that worrying gets in the way of their life or paralyzes them. Is this the
case for you?
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER
Do you have any unusual or repetitive thoughts that you know are silly
but you simply cannot stop thinking about (for example, being
contaminated by germs)?
Do you feel there are certain rituals you have to do, such as tap your
hand a certain way or do things in sets of threes, which takes up a lot
of time in the day?

DELUSIONS AND HALLUCINATIONS

Do you have unusual experiences, such as hearing voices that other
people cannot hear?
Have you seen things that other people cannot see?
Do you have unusual ideas, such as feeling that the TV or radio has
special messages for you?
Do you have unusual ideas that people you do not even know are
plotting to harm or kill you?
Do you have unusual ideas, such as feeling that you have special
powers that no one else has?

POST - TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Do you find it hard to stop thinking about a very difficult event that has
happened to you?
Do you find that you have nightmares related to the event?
Do you find that you have flashbacks? By that I mean very vivid
daydreams or what we may call a "daymare" about the event?
 When something happens that reminds you of the event, does that
trigger a very large response in you?
Do you find that you avoid things that remind you of the event?

Generally, do you feel anxious since the event and have trouble
sleeping or startle easily?
Do you feel that this event, and the way it has left you feeling, still gets
in the way of your life?

SOCIAL PHOBIA
Are you able to go to social situations where you may have to interact
with people you don't know well, or is that very daunting for you?
Can you eat in restaurants in front of others?
Were you able to give presentations in front of others when you were in
school, or can you do it now?
Do your social fears get in the way of your life?

BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER

Do you feel you are still searching for your sense of who you are (self-
identity)?
By "sense of who you are," I mean do you have a set of values (what is
important to you) that stays constant over time?
Do you have long-term feelings of sadness?
Do you have long-term feelings of anger?
Do you find that your relationships usually get very difficult and end
abruptly?
Have you had thoughts of killing yourself on and off over the years?
Have you tried to kill yourself in the past?
Have you had episodes in the past where you tried to hurt yourself, not
to kill yourself but simply to cause yourself pain or distract you from
something?
How do you feel after these episodes? (Patients often respond that
they feel a sense of release or relief.)
Do you find that you can be feeling okay then suddenly feel angry, or
you can be feeling okay and suddenly feel sad? Does this happen a lot
during the course of a day?
Do you find that you do things on impulse and then regret it
afterwards?

ENDING A SESSION

What has been disappointing about this session?

What has been useful about this session?
How would you summarize this session?
What are the takeaways from this session?
What homework would you like to give yourself?
What would you like to focus on in our next session?