英文原文
How to Use the Miracle Question in Therapy: 3 Examples
The Miracle Question is a solution-focused tool that helps visualize a future without current problems, fostering hope & clarity. By describing detailed changes post-miracle, individuals can identify actionable steps towards desired outcomes. This technique encourages a shift from problem-thinking to goal-oriented solutions, enhancing personal & therapeutic growth.
The miracle question is a popular intervention in Solution-Focused Therapy. It asks the client to imagine and discuss a possible world where problems are removed and issues addressed. The question may take various forms, such as asking the client, “Assume your problem has been solved. What is different?” Or, “Assume your problem is gone. What does this mean to you?”
For the therapist, the intervention can “build a good storyline and lead the client to envision how different their life would be if a miracle happened overnight.” The answers provided offer insights to the client while supporting the overall definition of the goals for therapy.
The focus of SFT is on “what is preferred and helpful to clients in attaining their goals.” Clients typically find SFT a helpful approach in which the therapeutic dialogue works to construct the therapeutic outcomes.
The miracle question prompts and motivates negotiation between therapist and client. When introduced into the session, it typically offers a departure from the prior dialogue. The conversation then proceeds to work out the full meaning of the answer given.
The therapist must tailor the question according to the client’s experiences, language, and understanding to ensure it is appropriately understood, considered, and answered. After all, it is a big question that may not be easy to answer; it invites the client to reflect on broader issues and engage in what-if thinking.
The power of the miracle question is to bring clarity to the therapeutic process while strengthening the therapeutic alliance through the client’s presentation of their problem.
Negotiation and back-and-forth dialogue are crucial to the process of posing and making sense of the miracle question. The therapist uses the insight it provides to “bring forth clients’ ideas, goals, and possibilities” to uncover the potential outcomes of therapy.
When the client considers the question, it generates new dialogue with the therapist with the miracle as a clear focus. Whether a starting point or later in the interview, it introduces (or reintroduces) further potential for growth into the conversation.
The client becomes more active and potentially more engaged in the therapeutic process, constructing and negotiating valuable meanings and insights while showing that they wish to benefit from the discussion.
The power of the miracle question appears to be in its ability to lift clients out of ‘real life,’ shaking loose their constraints and imagining what could be. Crucially, it helps the client piece together a specific and elaborate vision of what their lives would be like in the absence of a problem. Along with setting goals, the purpose of the miracle question is to:
- Generate a virtual vision of what life would be like if a miracle occurred.
- Prepare the client for exceptions to the problem, glimpsing a world in which the problem is no longer present, either temporarily or permanently.
- Create a progressive narrative where the client’s life is pictured as becoming better rather than worse.
For the therapist and client, the response to the miracle question becomes “the common ground upon which the two agree to build a new foundation.”
The following three examples explore how to use the miracle question and its impact.
Asking the miracle question: You can modify the following approach and wording according to the circumstances, such as individual, couple, or family therapy.
Try out the following with your clients: “This may seem like a strange question to ask, but please bear with me. Imagine going about your life as normal and heading off to sleep at the usual time. Unknown to you, during the night, something happens – a miracle. When you wake up the following day, something exciting has happened. The very problem that brought you to see me today is no longer there. What would be the very first difference you would notice in your life?”
Helpful follow-ups: The following questions offer valuable follow-ups and progress the dialogue. They help the client create and explore new possibilities:
- How will you know the miracle has happened?
- What will others (parents, partner, children, work colleagues, etc.) notice about you that makes them aware things are different or better?
- What would their reaction be? What would they do?
- What would you do next?
- What would we see (feelings, thoughts, and behavior) if we compared a before and after picture?
- Have you ever seen elements of this happen before?
Answering the miracle question: The following statements are two unique examples of responses to the miracle question given by a couple during marriage therapy, having sought help for relationship difficulties:
- “We would spend more time with each other like we used to.”
- “My wife would have an interest in me again like when we first started dating.”
Language becomes more than a tool for understanding. The process of asking, sharing, and understanding the miracle question communicates experiences and wishes between the speaker and the listener.
It is important to remember that while initiated as a single question, the broader process of creating a vision of what life could be like may require an entire session. Furthermore, it takes skill to pose follow-up questions, yet it is worthwhile, as it involves building more detail and meaning through elaboration.
Learning to use the miracle question positively in groups to generate conversation and progress requires a little more thought. It becomes even more critical to phrase the question well, create goals, engage, find exceptions to the problems, remain patient, and respond to each client in the group constructively.
The miracle question can be helpful with survivors of natural disasters, including children as young as six. Working in families or larger groups, the process “can facilitate adaptive coping, immediate solution-building,” and provide an opportunity to share essential strategies to discuss emotions, fears, and needs.
Group miracle question: The miracle question is powerful in a group setting. The process helps to imagine how good life could be if the group had everything they ever wanted.
- Ask the group to sit in a circle and close their eyes.
- Ask them to picture the following: Imagine waking up tomorrow morning. By some miracle overnight, you have been given everything you ever wanted and life has turned out just as you have always wished.
- Ask each member of the group to keep imagining and ask themselves the following: What would you notice that would make you realize the miracle had happened? What would you hear and see? How would you feel differently inside? How would you be different?
- Ask the group to share how that future might look and feel.
- Then ask them to share what steps they could take to make some of this come true.
Group miracle question exercise: While the following exercise is powerful for individuals, it can promote intense discussion and valuable sharing of solutions in a group.
- Ask the group to sit in a circle and close their eyes.
- Ask them to picture the following: Imagine waking up tomorrow morning. By some miracle overnight, all your problems are gone.
- Ask the group to imagine how they would feel and behave.
- Ask the group to choose one thing (it can be very small) they might do if the miracle happened, such as meeting with friends, beginning a new class, or starting to exercise.
- Now, imagine acting as if the problem were gone. How could you progress with your new activity, action, or behavior if your problem were no longer there?
- Ask the group to share the one thing they would start doing if their miracle happened; encourage them to explore how it would feel trying out the new behavior.
While the miracle question is a powerful technique in Solution-Focused Therapy and elsewhere, there are other helpful approaches as well.
Exception questions: It can be helpful to reflect upon exceptions to the present problems in the client’s life. Such an approach can be a valuable way to “discover clients’ previous successes and amplify the client’s strengths.” While the miracle question offers insight into treatment goals, exception questions highlight possible pathways to achieve them.
An example exception question and statement include:
- Was there a time when you were able to respond without anger?
- Tell me of a time when you and your wife enjoyed one another’s company.
Scaling questions: Scaling questions provide a useful way to assess a client’s progress toward their goals. “The evaluation outcome can further guide the treatment by adjusting the behavior modification plan” in therapy. Such questions are popular in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, where the aim is to find immediate solutions and actively assist clients in resolving their problems.
Two examples of scaling questions include:
- On a scale of 0 to 10, how committed are you to finding a solution to your relationship problems?
- On a scale of 0 to 10, how controlled do you feel by your father?
The miracle question appears surprisingly straightforward, yet it has the power to provide deep insights into the client’s goals, wishes, dreams, and the obstacles they put in their way.
The potential of the miracle question comes from its ability to create understanding and the awareness it generates through ongoing dialogue. Such questions talk new and additional meaning into being and help shape the therapeutic outcome.
Research into asking and answering the miracle question shows it creates dialogue through negotiation. The meaning is constructed between client and therapist socially, while they responsively negotiate what they say and how they say it.
The answer to the question – what the miracle looks like – is woven back into the client’s life and their network of interpersonal relationships.
The miracle question is incredibly valuable for the client and the therapeutic process; indeed, “when therapists are taught that the miracle question is a tool for creating hope, their faith in their clients will increase, and their anxiety will decrease as a result.”
Therapists can adopt the miracle question as a powerful tool for encouraging further conversation and uncovering the deeper drives that brought the client to their office for help.
中文翻译
如何在治疗中使用奇迹提问：3个示例
奇迹提问是一种焦点解决工具，帮助人们想象没有当前问题的未来，培养希望和清晰度。通过描述奇迹发生后的详细变化，个人可以识别实现期望结果的可操作步骤。这种技术鼓励从问题思维转向目标导向的解决方案，增强个人和治疗性成长。
奇迹提问是焦点解决疗法中一种流行的干预措施。它要求来访者想象并讨论一个可能的世界，在那里问题被消除，问题得到解决。这个问题可以采取各种形式，例如询问来访者：“假设你的问题已经解决。有什么不同？”或者，“假设你的问题消失了。这对你意味着什么？”
对于治疗师来说，这种干预可以“构建一个好的故事情节，引导来访者想象如果一夜之间发生奇迹，他们的生活会有多么不同。”提供的答案为来访者提供见解，同时支持治疗目标的整体定义。
SFT的重点是“什么对来访者实现目标是有益和可取的。”来访者通常发现SFT是一种有帮助的方法，其中治疗对话有助于构建治疗结果。
奇迹提问促进并激励治疗师和来访者之间的协商。当引入会话时，它通常提供与先前对话的偏离。然后对话继续进行，以理解所给答案的全部含义。
治疗师必须根据来访者的经验、语言和理解来调整问题，以确保它被适当地理解、考虑和回答。毕竟，这是一个可能不容易回答的大问题；它邀请来访者反思更广泛的问题，并参与假设性思考。
奇迹提问的力量在于为治疗过程带来清晰度，同时通过来访者呈现他们的问题来加强治疗联盟。
协商和来回对话对于提出和理解奇迹提问的过程至关重要。治疗师利用它提供的见解“引出来访者的想法、目标和可能性”，以揭示治疗的潜在结果。
当来访者考虑这个问题时，它会与治疗师产生新的对话，以奇迹为明确焦点。无论是作为起点还是在访谈后期，它都会在对话中引入（或重新引入）进一步增长的潜力。
来访者变得更加活跃，并可能更投入治疗过程，构建和协商有价值的含义和见解，同时表明他们希望从讨论中受益。
奇迹提问的力量似乎在于它能够将来访者从“现实生活”中提升出来，摆脱他们的约束，想象可能的情况。关键的是，它帮助来访者拼凑出一个具体而详尽的愿景，描绘在没有问题的情况下他们的生活会是什么样子。除了设定目标外，奇迹提问的目的是：
- 生成一个虚拟愿景，描绘如果发生奇迹，生活会是什么样子。
- 为来访者准备问题的例外情况，瞥见一个问题不再存在的世界，无论是暂时还是永久。
- 创建一个渐进的叙事，其中来访者的生活被描绘为变得更好而不是更糟。
对于治疗师和来访者来说，对奇迹提问的回应成为“双方同意建立新基础的共同基础。”
以下三个示例探讨了如何使用奇迹提问及其影响。
提出奇迹提问：您可以根据情况修改以下方法和措辞，例如个人、夫妻或家庭治疗。
尝试与您的来访者使用以下内容：“这可能是一个奇怪的问题，但请耐心听我说。想象一下，像往常一样生活，在通常的时间睡觉。您不知道的是，在夜间，发生了某事——一个奇迹。当您第二天醒来时，发生了令人兴奋的事情。今天带您来见我的那个问题已经不存在了。您会注意到生活中的第一个不同是什么？”
有帮助的后续问题：以下问题提供了有价值的后续问题并推进对话。它们帮助来访者创造和探索新的可能性：
- 您如何知道奇迹已经发生？
- 其他人（父母、伴侣、孩子、工作同事等）会注意到您有什么不同，让他们意识到事情不同或更好？
- 他们的反应会是什么？他们会做什么？
- 您接下来会做什么？
- 如果我们比较前后图片，我们会看到什么（感受、想法和行为）？
- 您以前见过这种情况的某些元素发生吗？
回答奇迹提问：以下陈述是夫妻在婚姻治疗期间对奇迹提问的两个独特回应示例，他们因关系困难寻求帮助：
- “我们会像以前一样花更多时间在一起。”
- “我的妻子会再次对我感兴趣，就像我们刚开始约会时一样。”
语言不仅仅是理解的工具。提问、分享和理解奇迹提问的过程在说话者和听者之间传达经验和愿望。
重要的是要记住，虽然作为一个单一问题启动，但创建生活可能是什么样子的更广泛过程可能需要整个会话。此外，提出后续问题需要技巧，但这是值得的，因为它涉及通过详细阐述构建更多细节和含义。
学习在团体中积极使用奇迹提问以产生对话和进展需要更多思考。措辞问题、创建目标、参与、找到问题的例外情况、保持耐心并以建设性的方式回应团体中的每个来访者变得更加关键。
奇迹提问对自然灾害幸存者有帮助，包括年仅六岁的儿童。在家庭或更大的团体中工作，这个过程“可以促进适应性应对、即时解决方案构建”，并提供分享基本策略的机会，以讨论情绪、恐惧和需求。
团体奇迹提问：奇迹提问在团体环境中很强大。这个过程有助于想象如果团体拥有他们想要的一切，生活会有多好。
- 要求团体坐成一个圆圈，闭上眼睛。
- 要求他们想象以下内容：想象明天早上醒来。由于一夜之间的某个奇迹，您得到了您想要的一切，生活正如您一直希望的那样。
- 要求团体的每个成员继续想象，并问自己以下问题：您会注意到什么让您意识到奇迹已经发生？您会听到和看到什么？您内心会有什么不同的感受？您会有什么不同？
- 要求团体分享那个未来可能看起来和感觉如何。
- 然后要求他们分享他们可以采取什么步骤来实现其中的一些。
团体奇迹提问练习：虽然以下练习对个人很强大，但它可以在团体中促进激烈的讨论和有价值的解决方案分享。
- 要求团体坐成一个圆圈，闭上眼睛。
- 要求他们想象以下内容：想象明天早上醒来。由于一夜之间的某个奇迹，您所有的问题都消失了。
- 要求团体想象他们会有什么感受和行为。
- 要求团体选择一件事（可以非常小），如果奇迹发生，他们可能会做，例如与朋友见面、开始新课程或开始锻炼。
- 现在，想象好像问题已经消失。如果问题不再存在，您如何推进您的新活动、行动或行为？
- 要求团体分享如果他们的奇迹发生，他们会开始做的一件事；鼓励他们探索尝试新行为会有什么感觉。
虽然奇迹提问是焦点解决疗法和其他地方的一种强大技术，但还有其他有帮助的方法。
例外问题：反思来访者生活中当前问题的例外情况可能是有帮助的。这种方法可以是“发现来访者以前的成功并放大来访者的优势”的宝贵方式。虽然奇迹提问提供了对治疗目标的见解，但例外问题突出了实现它们的可能途径。
例外问题的示例包括：
- 有没有一次您能够不带愤怒地回应？
- 告诉我一次您和您的妻子享受彼此陪伴的时间。
量表问题：量表问题提供了一种有用的方式来评估来访者朝着目标的进展。“评估结果可以通过调整治疗中的行为修改计划来进一步指导治疗。”这种问题在焦点解决短期治疗中很流行，其目标是找到即时解决方案并积极帮助来访者解决问题。
量表问题的两个示例包括：
- 在0到10的范围内，您对找到关系问题解决方案的承诺程度如何？
- 在0到10的范围内，您感觉被父亲控制的程度如何？
奇迹提问看起来出奇地简单，但它有能力提供对来访者目标、愿望、梦想以及他们设置的障碍的深刻见解。
奇迹提问的潜力来自于它通过持续对话创造理解和意识的能力。这样的问题将新的和额外的意义带入存在，并帮助塑造治疗结果。
对提问和回答奇迹提问的研究表明，它通过协商创造对话。意义是在来访者和治疗师之间社会性地构建的，同时他们响应性地协商他们说什么以及如何说。
问题的答案——奇迹看起来是什么样子——被编织回来访者的生活和他们的人际关系网络中。
奇迹提问对来访者和治疗过程非常有价值；确实，“当治疗师被教导奇迹提问是创造希望的工具时，他们对来访者的信心会增加，他们的焦虑会因此减少。”
治疗师可以采用奇迹提问作为鼓励进一步对话并揭示带来访者来寻求帮助的更深层驱动力的强大工具。
文章概要
本文详细介绍了焦点解决疗法中的奇迹提问技术，包括其定义、目的、应用示例和多样化形式。奇迹提问通过引导来访者想象问题解决后的未来，帮助他们从问题思维转向目标导向的解决方案，培养希望和清晰度。文章提供了三个具体示例，展示了如何在个人、夫妻和团体治疗中应用奇迹提问，并介绍了相关的后续问题、工作表和其他辅助技术如例外问题和量表问题。文章强调，奇迹提问是一种强大的工具，能够促进治疗对话、加强治疗联盟，并为不同人群（包括儿童和灾难幸存者）提供适应性应对和解决方案构建的机会。
高德明老师的评价
用12岁初中生可以听懂的语音来重复翻译的内容：想象一下，如果你一觉醒来，所有让你烦恼的问题都像魔法一样消失了，你的生活会有什么不同？奇迹提问就是这样一个有趣的游戏，它让你闭上眼睛，想想如果明天早上问题不见了，你会注意到什么变化。比如，如果你和好朋友吵架了，奇迹发生后，你们可能会一起玩得更开心，就像以前一样。这个方法帮助人们从“哎呀，我好难过”变成“哇，我可以做点什么让事情变好”，让心里充满希望和快乐的想法。
焦点解决心理学理论评价：奇迹提问是焦点解决短期治疗中的一颗璀璨明珠，它完美体现了该理论的核心精神——聚焦于解决方案而非问题本身。通过邀请来访者构建一个没有问题的未来愿景，它巧妙地绕过了对困境的过度分析，直接锚定在个人资源和目标上。这种技术不仅强化了来访者的主体性和能动性，还通过叙事重构，将治疗对话转化为共同创造希望的过程。它彰显了焦点解决心理学对“小改变带来大不同”的信念，以及对话言作为建构现实工具的深刻理解。
在实践上可以应用的领域和可以解决人们的十个问题：奇迹提问在多个领域展现出广阔的应用前景，包括心理咨询、学校教育、职场辅导、家庭治疗和社区支持。它可以有效帮助人们解决以下十个问题：1. 提升个人自信心和自我效能感；2. 改善人际关系冲突，如夫妻矛盾或亲子沟通；3. 缓解焦虑和抑郁情绪，找到生活方向；4. 增强学习或工作中的目标设定和动力；5. 应对创伤后应激，重建安全感；6. 促进团队协作和集体问题解决；7. 帮助青少年应对成长困惑和同伴压力；8. 支持成瘾康复者规划清醒生活；9. 协助慢性病患者调整心态，提高生活质量；10. 激发创造力，在艺术或创新项目中寻找灵感。这些应用都指向一个共同点：通过想象美好未来，激活内在力量，开启积极改变的无限可能。