Questions in Couple and Family Therapy

Name of Concept

Questions in Couple and Family Therapy

Introduction

While questions are generally a prominent feature in psychotherapy, questions have unique purposes in couple and family therapy (CFT). In other therapeutic traditions, questions tend to focus on intrapsychic processes or on strengths and needs within environmental contexts. The CFT field assumes that the health of individuals and the health of their close relationships are intrinsically intertwined. Thus interventions are systemic and focus on both family relationships and internal processes. In CFT, questions are directed toward relationships among family members, highlighting family processes, beliefs, behavioral contingencies, roles, and family successes. Questions can serve as assessment tools, mechanisms for increasing insight, or strategies for invoking change in beliefs and behaviors. This chapter highlights the use of systemic questions by exploring types of questions in several prominent family therapy models.