What are open-ended questions? Examples

In modern psychological science, the method "Open and Closed Questions" became well known. The essence of this practice is to create the most harmonious environment for contact with the client. The wisdom of a counselor psychologist, his benevolent attitude to the patient, and the intention to help him will contribute to the understanding and the highest degree of empathic hearing in this situation. When a client sees a benevolent attitude toward himself, it becomes much easier for him to talk about sore and share bitter experiences. Open questions, examples of which are numerous, can be found in this article.

Application in counseling

It's no secret that the situation of psychological counseling often becomes a stress for the client. Preparing for the first time to visit the psychologist's office, a person is often nervous because he does not yet know how the conversation will be held, he tries to build at least an approximate plan in his head.

The consultant understands that the client needs to relax, to direct the conversation in the right direction. This is where open-ended questions come in handy. Examples: a person comes to a consultation, he wants to talk about his problem, but he feels self-contained, constrained. For the conversation to take place and be productive, the psychologist should ask him a few questions, such as: "What do you think about our meetings two or three times a week? Do you want to continue our studies? ", Etc.

Detailed response

The open question of topics is noteworthy, which always presupposes the presence of reasoning, prompts the client to analyze the situation. The task of a psychologist-consultant is just to correctly ask a question and send the patient to the right topic, in the right direction. For example, a psychologist can ask him: "What do you think, what is the connection between yesterday's event and your current state?" With this approach, the client has to somehow open up and talk about himself. Unambiguous answers like "yes", "no" do not fit.

A person thus has a kind of tuning in the mind, which allows him to exert a painful subject without much stress. Open-ended questions are a kind of preparation, especially necessary for solving important and complex situations that led the patient to frustration and depression.

Direction of conversation

A competent specialist during the consultation process will be sure to ensure that the client feels comfortable. Where necessary, he will warn the emergence of conflict, if necessary, help to understand what is the cause of mental pain, will find the place in which it is localized. The tone of the conversation, its dynamics, current - all this is set by the psychologist with his cues and comments. In this sense, open and closed questions are a real find. It is they who impart meaningful movement to the conversation, adjust to the right way. So it is easier to work for a psychologist, and for a client to tell about their problems.

Types of open questions are different. There are specifying, stimulating, directing, soothing. If the psychologist asks the patient how many years he has worked in one place, then this is a clarifying question. It would seem that it does not lead to the disclosure of the problem, but brings to the topic, from which the difficulty arises. After this, it becomes much easier for those who have come for help to continue the story.

Receiving the information

Open questions, examples of which you can see in this article, is an important feature. This process allows you to accelerate the moment of awareness of the problems and complexities that prevent a person from building a life in accordance with their desires and needs. When information passes through consciousness, it becomes much easier to work with it. The person already has the opportunity to make choices about how to proceed: whether to continue to cherish his pain or start getting rid of it.

Understanding the reasons

Perhaps this is the most important task that faces both sides of the process. The analysis of the situation always begins with an understanding of the causes, the basis of the problem. After all, difficulties are not formed from scratch, they arise as a result of wrong actions or doubts. The goal of psychological counseling is to discover a personal conflict hidden in the subconscious. Until it is found, the problem will not be solved, and everything will remain at the same level, which no longer suits the person. The fact is that we outgrow the situation in which we are, the circumstances that surround us. All you need to do is constantly move forward, grow personally. At some point, the realization will come that yesterday's problems no longer have such strength, so you won.

That's what open questions are. Examples that illustrate the effectiveness of this method in modern psychological science can be seen in real life.