In solution-focused brief therapy, which questions help clients envision a preferred future and identify steps?

• A. Coping questions
• B. Scaling questions and the miracle question
• C. Exploration questions
• D. Questioning their past

Answer: (B)

In solution-focused brief therapy, the focus is on creating a desired future and figuring out practical steps to get there. The miracle question asks the client to imagine a night in which the problem is solved and to describe what would be different when they wake up. This prompt makes the preferred future concrete—what they would do, how life would be different, and who would notice—so they can identify specific goals and actions to work toward. Scaling questions then follow by asking where they are now on a chosen scale and what would move them a notch or two toward a higher number. This pairs vision with measurable progress, turning the future state into manageable, concrete steps.

Coping questions, while valuable for uncovering resources and strategies for handling current challenges, don’t center on envisioning a future state. Exploration questions tend to probe the problem, exceptions, or past experiences rather than outlining forward-moving plans. Questioning their past focuses on historical factors instead of mapping out future change.