Questioning Techniques

Question Types

Investigative: Used to learn and understand the individual and the matters that concern them.

• “How long have you struggled in this way?”

Hypothetical: Used to explore feelings, beliefs, hopes or goals by suggesting imaginative scenarios.

• “Suppose you didn’t have this struggle. What would life be like then?”

Clarifying: Used to verify and clarify what has been said avoiding assumptions.

• “Would you say that you feel betrayed?”

Reflective: Used to help them reflect on what they have shared.

• • “You mentioned feeling ‘angry’. Can we explore that?”

Question Formats

Open Ended: Used to expand sharing.

• “Share more about…”
• “How would you describe…?”
• “How did that make you feel?”

Closed Ended: Used to narrow sharing.

• “Yes or no…?”
• “On a scale of 1 – 10…?”
• “Would you say it is like this… or like this…”

Question types to avoid:

• Interrogation – “Why did you do that?”
• Leading – “You didn’t do _______ did you?”

Question Examples

X-Ray Questions

Therapeutic Questions

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