30 Therapeutic Questions

Written By Spencer Thorn

10 categories, 3 questions each to help you move through a problem.

1. Clarifying the Problem:

  • "What is the core issue you’re struggling with right now?"

  • "How does this problem show up in different areas of your life?"

  • "What feelings come up when you think about this issue?"

2. Exploring Underlying Beliefs:

  • "What beliefs do you hold about yourself in relation to this issue?"

  • "Where do you think these beliefs come from? Are they truly yours?"

  • "How would you challenge these beliefs if they weren’t true?"

3. Investigating Patterns:

  • "Have you experienced this issue before? How did you handle it then?"

  • "What recurring patterns or themes do you notice in your life around this issue?"

  • "What role do you play in maintaining this pattern?"

4. Future-Oriented Thinking:

  • "If nothing changed, how do you imagine things would look in a year? Five years?"

  • "What would your life look like if this issue were resolved?"

  • "What small steps can you take toward that vision of resolution?"

5. Exploring Resistance:

  • "What scares you most about changing this situation?"

  • "What do you gain from holding onto this issue or pattern?"

  • "What’s the cost of not addressing it?"

6. Values and Priorities:

  • "What values are most important to you, and how does this issue align with or conflict with them?"

  • "How do your actions reflect what you truly care about?"

  • "If you were living your life according to your highest values, what would you be doing differently?"

7. Perspective Shift:

  • "How would you view this issue from someone else’s perspective?"

  • "What advice would you give to a friend facing the same situation?"

  • "What would the wisest version of yourself do in this situation?"

8. Exploring Emotions:

  • "What emotion do you feel most strongly in this situation?"

  • "How do you express or suppress these feelings?"

  • "What do you fear might happen if you let yourself fully experience these emotions?"

9. Meaning and Purpose:

  • "What meaning do you assign to this experience?"

  • "How has this issue helped shape who you are today?"

  • "How can this challenge contribute to your personal growth or wisdom?"

10. Creative Problem-Solving:

  • "What options do you have that you haven’t explored yet?"

  • "If you could approach this issue with total creativity, what would you do?"

  • "What would your life look like if you were free from this challenge?"

Spencer Thorn