NAME...Miracle Question Use your imagination… Suppose that tonight, as you slept, there was a miracle, and what you are speaking to me about has improved / became much better? !

Human Connections

Changing Lives

Address: PO Box 8281, Glenmore Park NSW 2745 Website: © 2013 www.humanconnections.com.au Email: [email protected]

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NAME:

Human Connections

Changing Lives


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Miracle Questions The Future Without the Problem

Suppose that one night there is a miracle and while you were sleeping the problem you are telling

me about is solved: How will you know? What will be different? What will you notice different the

next morning that will tell you that there has been a miracle? How will other people be able to know

a miracle has taken place without you telling them? Who will be the first to notice? What will your

teacher/s parent/s / friends notice? How will you respond?

• Counsellor elicits a clear and specific behavioural description.

If you were to make a videotape (DVD) of the following day, what will you be saying or doing that is

noticeably different? If you were in class and people were watching you in class, how will they know

that you are getting on with the teacher and other clients?

• People find it easier to describe what other people will be doing differently. Encourage them to

describe what will be different in their own behaviours and attitudes.

• If the Client describes the differences in terms of absence of a particular behaviour or emotional

state, ask what will you be feeling or doing instead?

Other examples of miracle questions

If, when I see you next, you are telling me that your problem has improved significantly, what is that

you will be telling me about?

If I pulled a magic wand and was able to perform magic on your situation, what will be happening

that is different from before?

How would you like things to be?

Pretend / imagine you had a holiday (just one day – a break) and the INSERT ISSUE / PROBLEM

HERE did not affect you (as badly) how what that day be different? How would you be different?

“It appears the mere act of constructing a vision of a solution acts as a catalyst for bringing it about.”

Human Connections

Changing Lives


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Miracle Questions The Future Without the Problem

Let’s say you had a dream one night that the next chapter is a happy one, what will happen in it?

Let us imagine that one day in the future when your problem is in the past. And you decide to write a

letter to your…(classmates, teachers, friends) to tell them how you are doing. What will you write in

tis imaginary letter?

If someone was to bring me good news about you in the future, what will they tell me?

• Get the client to fantasise about their future in a specific way.

Just say the exam is over and you are walking home and saying to yourself, ‘I really did well’, what

would you have done before the exam? During the exam?

Imagine that a few weeks have gone by and you notice that the teasing has reduced or stopped all

together. What would you have done before / at the time of the teasing?

• Sometimes a client can’t imagine a miracle.

If you were pretending a miracle was happening, what is the first thing you will do? What will it take

to pretend?

• Counsellor’s language presupposes the problem has been solved and presupposes change.

Use when instead of if. What else will be different instead of would be different. When things

begin to improve instead of if things begin to improve.

• Using the miracle to build change. What are you already doing sometimes, that takes you in

that direction? Are there small pieces of this that are already happening? What do you need to

make it happen more often? What small steps need to be taken before the miracle is realised?

Human Connections

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Exercise: Miracle Question A step-‐by-‐step guide to asking and expanding on the Miracle Question

1 Preamble: explain to the client you’re going to ask them a bit of a strange question. I was hoping I could ask you a little bit of an unusual question?

2 Set the scene: using guided imagery, set the scene for the client, getting them comfortable, ready to sleep, ready for the miracle! Remember to use the client’s language and the information they have already given you.

3 The question: Suppose that tonight while you are asleep, a miracle happens, and all the problems that brought you here today disappeared/improved. As this miracle occurs while you are sleeping, you do not immediately know that it has happened. When you wake up, what will be the first small sign that you will notice that will tell you that the miracle has happened?

4 Client’s response: Make a note of: a.) Changes in feelings

b.) Changes in thoughts

c.) What the client will be doing differently

Human Connections

Changing Lives


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Exercise: Miracle Question A step-‐by-‐step guide to asking and expanding on the Miracle Question

6 Who will notice that this miracle has happened? Ask specific questions using information gathered from earlier in the session. For example:

What will your friends or parents notice that was different if this miracle happened?

7 What difference will all this make?

8 Is any of this happening already – maybe a tiny bit? (Exceptions)

9 What’s the first thing you could do to move closer to parts of this miracle happening? How could you influence your life to make this miracle come true? And then what?

5 What else?

Human Connections

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Human Connections

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Human Connections

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Pathways of Constructing Solutions Establish the purpose of the interview. Assess motivation for change.

GOAL OR PROBLEM

ü What would you like to talk about?

ü How do you think our chat can be helpful to you?

ü How would you like things to be different?

ü How much would you like this to change?

Zero is not at all and ten is very much! ü What would happen if nothing

changes?

Hypothetical Solutions Miracle Question

Use your imagination…

Suppose that tonight, as you slept, there

was a miracle, and what you are speaking to me about has improved / became much

better?

ü What would you be doing differently?

Criteria For Well Defined Goals

ü In the positive ü In a process form

ü In the here and now ü As specific as possible ü In the client’s control

ü In the client’s language

Exceptions

ü How is this happening now? ü When doesn’t this happen?

Human Connections

Changing Lives


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Human Connections

Changing Lives


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COPYRIGHT NOTICE

ABOUT HUMAN CONNECTIONS

Human Connections is an Australian business based in Sydney, committed to connecting people in schools, families and the workplace. With qualifications and university degrees in both education and counselling Rocky brings great experience both as a teacher, Year Coordinator, therapist and life coach.

Rocky has successfully conducted presentations to thousands of clients. In particular, he has focused on the transition into senior school. His focus on emotion and stress management, motivation and peak performance brings to clients the latest techniques used by successful corporate and sporting people around the world. Clients will participate and experience techniques in energy psychology, Neuro-Linguistic programming, self-hypnosis and meditation.

What we do: Go to www.humanconnections.com.au to find out more.

1. Peak Performance Student Sessions: These student sessions are mostly targeted to Year 7 (Big Fish into Little Fish Workshop) 10, 11 and 12 students. The focus is on motivation, goals and emotion management techniques. The information pack has further details. However, the sessions are between 90 minutes and a whole day workshop. In addition, we hold study skills days with Prue Salter from ELES where the group is split in half and each spends half a day with a presenter.

2. Parent Evenings: The parent evenings were born from the overwhelming feedback by

students that a major part of their pressure was from their parents. The session runs for 60 minutes and is titled, “Helping your child through senior school and the HSC.”

3. Counselling: Rocky Biasi from Human Connections is a clinical Member of the Counsellors

and Psychotherapists Association of NSW and runs a private practice. In addition, Rocky offers counselling to teachers and clients in a variety of schools.

4. Professional Development and Mentoring: Human Connections conducts a range of

professional development workshops, including “The Accidental Counsellor”, “Teaching Toward Success - Helping Clients Reach their Academic Potential” and “Conscious Classroom Management.

Please note: all materials in this handout are protected by copyright. If you wish to use any of this material with clients/parents you need to acknowledge the source as follows: Source: www.humanconnections.com.au

As director of Human Connections, Rocky Biasi is a classroom management and interpersonal skills specialist with a practical approach to behaviour management.

With over 15 years’ experience as a counselor, teacher and Year Coordinator to every year group from Yr 7 – 12, Rocky has a wealth of experience both practical and theoretical that can help teachers and schools work toward becoming more effective and efficient in their roles.

His extensive training and research from the field of Peak Performance Psychology equips him to consult with teachers and clients about how to move from where they are to where they want to be.

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NAME...Miracle Question Use your imagination… Suppose that tonight, as you slept, there was a miracle, and what you are speaking to me about has improved / became much better? !