Solution-oriented Questions: An Analysis of a Key Intervention in Solution-focused Therapy

Abstract

Psychiatric nurses must look for new approaches to behavior change as managed care environments influence the nature of theirpractice. Solution-focused therapy is one model of brief therapy that can offer interventions congruent with nursing's core values. The focus of this article is the analysis of one key solution-focused therapy intervention, solution-oriented questions. Three of the most frequently used questions, the miracle, exception, and coping questions, are described in detail Concepts underlying the use of these questions are explored, and a case example is presented.