What are some examples of evocative questions that explore the pros and cons of change?

1 Health and wellness

If you are working with a client who wants to improve their health and wellness, such as by quitting smoking, losing weight, or exercising more, you can use evocative questions to help them weigh the benefits and costs of their current behavior and the potential change. For example, you could ask how they feel about their current health and wellness, what are some of the good things about their current behavior, what are some of the not-so-good things about their current behavior, how their life would be different if they made a change, what challenges or barriers prevent them from making a change, and what resources or supports could help them make a change.

2 Relationships and communication

If you are working with a client who wants to improve their relationships and communication, such as by resolving conflicts, expressing their needs, or setting boundaries, you can use evocative questions to help them explore the advantages and disadvantages of their current patterns and the possible alternatives. For instance, you could ask how satisfied they are with their relationships and communication right now, what the positive aspects of their current way of relating and communicating with others are, what the negative aspects of their current way of relating and communicating with others are, how they think their relationships and communication would improve if they changed their approach or style, what difficulties or risks they face when trying to change their approach or style, and what skills or strategies they could use to change their approach or style.

3 Work and career

If you are working with a client who wants to enhance their work and career, such as by pursuing a new opportunity, developing a new skill, or finding more meaning or balance, you can use evocative questions to help them examine the pros and cons of their current situation and the potential change. For instance, inquiring about how they feel about their work and career right now, what rewarding aspects they experience in their current job or role, what frustrating aspects they experience in their current job or role, how they think their work and career would change if they took a new opportunity/learned a new skill/found more meaning or balance, what obstacles or challenges they encounter when thinking about taking a new opportunity/learning a new skill/finding more meaning or balance, and what resources or opportunities they could access to take a new opportunity/learn a new skill/find more meaning or balance can provide valuable insight.

4 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?