Northwest Brief Therapy Training Center Olympia, Washington
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Exception Finding Questions
The process of searching for exceptions can start with the following introductory comments: “I have a good picture of what happens when there are problems. In order to get a better idea of what needs to be done, I now need to know about when the problem does not happen.”
Exception finding Questions—Individual
“When would you say you do not have that problem?”
“Can you think of any other time, either in the past or in recent weeks, you did not have the problem (with drinking)?”
“How do you explain that this problem doesn’t happen then?” or “What do you do so that you don’t have this problem then?”
“Where did you get the idea to do it differently at those times? Whose idea was it to do it that way?”
“Tell me what is different for you at those times when you do it that way?!
“What would you say you do differently at those times?” (When the client takes an active role in the exception)
“What will have to happen for that to happen for you to do it that way more often?” (Appropriate when the client takes active responsibility for having done something to create the exception)
“What will have to happen for that to happen more often?” (Appropriate when the client takes a more passive position)
“What else would you say is different when the problem doesn’t happen?” (Passive position regarding exceptions)
“What else would you say you do differently when the problem doesn’t happen?” (Client takes an active position)
“What else would you say is different when the problem doesn’t happen?” (Giving the client more opportunity to think about other exceptions that didn’t occur to them)
“What would you and your wife be doing different instead of fighting (drinking, using drugs, etc.) ? (Starting to expand to client’s relationship with significant others)
Exception Finding Questions—Relationship
Even when the complaint is limited to the client only and not related to others in his/her life, it is always useful to gather information on the client’s perceptions of his/her significant others. It adds more depth and breadth to the description of the exceptions and what part others may play.
“If your husband were here and I were to ask him, what do you suppose he would say about those times when the problem (drinking, etc.) doesn’t happen?”
“What do you suppose he would say he notices different about you at those times when the problem does not happen?”
“What do you imagine he would explain that the problem doesn’t happen then?”
“What would he say has to happen for that to happen more often?”
“What would your children (mother) say you do different at those times? What would they say the do different at those times?”
“How long would they say that has to continue for them to say that the problem is solved?”
Answers to these questions offer a good picture of what the solution would look like (be, sound seem) like to the client and his)her significant others who are in a position to measure success. The therapist can also get a good deal of information about the client’s life in his/her natural setting, which the client may not think important enough to volunteer when not asked.