Questioning is often considered to be an advanced skill in counselling. While questions may seem a simple method of communicating and exploring an issue, they can often become leading.
This can often direct the client outside of their own frame of reference.
For counsellors using the person-centred approach, you could fall into the trap of using questioning which may lead the client away from what they want to talk about.
As such, many course leaders will often suggest using questioning sparingly at the beginning of your counselling journey.
While this may be the case for you, it can still be helpful to understand the different types of questioning that can be used in counselling.
This guide outlines the different types of questioning in counselling, exploring how they might be used, when to use them, and traps to look out for.
Types of questions in counselling
Open Questions
Open questions are used in counselling when the counsellor is prompting an answer that is more than a simple yes or no.
These questions often start with “how”, “what”, “who”, “where”, “when”, and “why”.
Examples of open questions include:
- “How did you feel when you experienced that?”
- “What happened next?”
- “Who do you feel most trust towards in your life?”
- “Where do you feel stress on your body?”
As these examples show, open questions can be used to gather information and to explore thoughts, feelings, and opinions with the client.
They can also be used to create hypothetical situations for the client to explore. For example, a client with a fear of dogs may be asked, “how would you feel if a dog was in the room with us now?”
Furthermore, the counsellor can use open questions to clarify their understanding of what the client is feeling or thinking, such as: “what are your thoughts as you tell me this?”; or “how did that affect you?”
While open questions can provide a lot of insight into the client’s issues, there are some points you should consider before using them.
Firstly, you should consider whether the question is necessary.
Does the question help to clarify your understanding as the counsellor?
Does it help the client explore their own feelings?
Does it stay within the client’s agenda and frame of reference?
If the answer is no to any of these, it is worth considering whether the question is necessary or helpful to the session.
Secondly, you should be wary of using “why” questions in a counselling setting.
On the surface, “why” questions have the power to give good exploration for the client’s issue.
They can also be helpful for clarifying the counsellor’s understanding of the issues.
However, they can also communicate judgement towards the client if not done with caution.
Asking the client, “why did you feel that way?” instead of “what do you think made you feel that way?” may communicate a level of judgement.
The client may feel as though they have done something wrong with these types of question.
Closed Questions
Closed questions are used in counselling to get a yes or no answer from the client.
They can sometimes be used for clarification, making sure the counsellor understands what the client is saying.
However, closed questions can sometimes feel like an interrogation as they do not naturally invite exploration.
Closed questions should be used sparingly in counselling and only when they are appropriate in the session.
Clarifying Questions
Clarifying questions are a form of question made by the counsellor to make sure they fully understand what the client means.
These questions aim to remove ambiguity, fill in missing details, and ensure a shared frame of reference between the counsellor and the client.
As such, clarifying questions can aid the counsellor in avoiding assumptions or judgements that surface from unclarified details.
Clarifying questions can often be open questions which encourage the client to expand on their thoughts without cornering them.
E.g. “ Can you tell me more about what you mean by that?”
Counsellors can use closed questions to clarify details as well.
E.g. “Do you enjoy your job?”
Counsellors may reflectively check that they are in the same frame of reference with the client.
E.g. “So you were feeling stressed and worried when this happened – did I get this right?”
Empathic questions
Empathic questions are open ended questions that aim to develop the therapeutic relationship and understanding between the counsellor and client.
Empathic questions can be used to validate the client by signalling that their feelings are seen and safe to express.
They can encourage exploration by asking the client to look internally and unpack complex or conflicting emotions.
These questions can also help shift feelings to the present. As a client talks about past events, the counsellor may ask how they are feeling in the room right now.
Example of questioning in counselling
This video by Kelly Allison at the University of British Columbia showcases different questioning in practice:
Pitfalls of questioning in counselling
As with other skills, there are drawbacks to questioning that you should avoid in counselling:
- Avoid “why” questions – asking “why” can come across as judgemental which can cause the client to become defensive or intellectually justify their thoughts and feelings.
- Avoid leading questions – These are questions that direct the client towards the “right” answer. However, this can pull the client outside of their frame of reference and does not facilitate change.
- Avoid overuse of closed questions – Asking too many closed questions that only require a yes or no response can come across as an interrogation. They do not facilitate exploration and could put the client under pressure.
- Avoid curiosity-driven questions – Asking the client for details out of personal curiosity can direct the conversation away from what the client might want to talk about. It can pull the client away from exploring their inner world.
- Avoid problem-solving questions – Asking the client questions such as “have you tried…” can stop the client from processing their own thoughts and feelings.
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