How do you apply the miracle question in solution-focused therapy?

I find it important to first "test" the word miracle to see if this concept is appropriate. I might say, "That almost sounds like it would take a miracle." If they respond favorably, I can ask, "Would that be a good thing?" If instead, they say, "There are no such things as miracles," I stop using this word. It doesn't mean I would stop using the question. . . just the word "miracle."

I often find that simply acknowledging they have downloaded a lot of stuff that's been captive in their mind is the best entry. Then I might posit that we dream for a little bit, take an escape from reality. This is the relief they are looking for - permission to dream.

Telling the story of the rest of the client's day and how this miracle happens that night is important. One must also be very clear what the definition of the "miracle" is. Isn't not about things being ideal or perfect for the client. There's a clear difference between what a client wishes to be true vs. what they realistically hope will be different from seeing the professional. There are actually 5 distinct parts of the miracle question. If one part is missed, or if one doesn't understand this, the question can fall flat. I go into these 5 parts in my books about Solution-Focused Brief Therapy as well as in my classes through Denver Center for SFBT.

With the preface above to "dream," I find that distilling down to simplicity can be very effective. "So, as we play and let go of everything else... Imagine a miracle. Tomorrow is the future, however far you need to go, where this problem doesn't exist. Tell me about it."

When creating this detail, there are two different categories of questions we ask. First are description kinds of questions and the second are "process how" questions. It's important to understand that change never happens from description questions alone. Clients typically know what they need to do. Change comes from the deeper, "process how" questions. All of these questions must be asked from the future as though it has already happened. This sends the message of hope and the expectation and belief that change is possible and inevitable.

All scales are are a conversation about more vs. less. They are extremely helpful in helping clients to determine moments when they are closer to the preferred future (exceptions) as well as how they recovered from times when they were further away (coping questions). I personally encourage people to use scales without numbers. This keeps scales from feeling cold, impersonal, or clinical. It also keeps clients from confusing a solution-focused scale with more problem-focused scales such as a pain scale. For example, one can use a vertical line on a page or even a simple analogy such as climbing a mountain. The more the scale can be personalized to what matters to the client, the better.

Sometimes, I find it very useful to posit this question in future sessions and not with the Miracle question. I find the tension of seeing the preferred future supports naturally moving up the scale, and an opportunity to reflect back growth for the client that they may not see on their own.

Genuine curiosity is key. Too often I find new learners using Solution-Focused concepts in problem-focused ways. They mistakenly find a past exception and proceed to try to convince the client to try this old behavior again in the future. This is not SFBT. This is problem-solving. I find it much more effective to stop asking about past exceptions, but instead start noticing them. Exceptions are all around us all the time. In SFBT, we focused on what it will look like in the future when things are just a little better. What will be signs of change, how would they have done this, etc.? Maybe they will be doing things from the past that worked before, but maybe not. Trusting the client and remaining curious is key.

As Insoo Kim Berg used to say, "SFBT is so simple, but it is the most difficult model to learn. . .for it takes discipline to learn to stay this simple." In my 30 some years using this model, the key was to learn from mentors in small, interactive, class settings. Participating in discussions, seeing live demos, and practicing the concepts was the only way I found that helped me to really internalize the concepts and understand how this evidenced-based model works with some of the most difficult presenting problems, such as severe trauma, substance misuse, chronic mental illness, and personality disorders, just to name a few. This model takes time to truly master. It's not going to come from lectures or static learning. It's life changing!

The applications of this philosophy based on the body of psychological research by Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazar, coupled with modern neuroscience are truly remarkable. In contemporary brain science research, SF principles continue to prove to be effective tools for harnessing intrinsic motivation. And in turn- modern science and tools give us opportunities to enhance how we do SF-based work.