Essay Example on the Miracle Question in Counseling

Shazer created the miracle question as a way of developing good therapeutic goals (De Shazer & Dolan, 2012). I believe that the miracle question aims at getting the client to imagine change. It focuses on the mind of individuals seeking help on how they will achieve what they want in life. Concentrating on future goals is the core of the miracle question. It tends to ignore that past and all bad things that have happened including the genesis of the problem. People focus on what they desire to become and the way they will get there. It inhibits an individual's thinking about failures in the past and helps a person to concentrate on what they want to change. I believe that its essence is to get individuals out of the issues they face and take them to the solution space. The miracle question gives clients a chance in focusing on their solution and devise what they want. I also believe that success starts with knowing what a person wants. A majority of people can only answer miracle question in general terms. They think about their past and future issues but they hardly have thoughts concerning their ideal future without misery. Such people lack a clear idea of what their positively transformed lives would mean. They do not visualize success and hence it becomes hard to achieve it. The miracle question enables one to think about what exactly they want in life (Reid, 2012). Until an individual has a clear idea about what they want, drifting in their lifetime is inevitable. The miracle question serves as a test of whether a person is serious about changing his or her life. Unless the miracle question is answered with clear details of what ideal result would be one is not able to take charge of his or her life. Answering the miracle question is the starting point of inviting change.

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I believe that the miracle question could be an effective counseling tool. During the counseling session, counselors ask the client the specific types of questions that guide them in the process of seeking a solution (Hammond, 2013). For example, coping questions can aid in demonstrating resilience and various ways they have the capability of coping with challenges. They can be asked questions about how they can manage to meet daily obligations during difficult times and this can help in recognizing skills to cope with problems. I believe that the miracle question assists individuals to envision a future with the absence of the problem. Questioning in this line enables people to view and explain how their lives would change without the problem that can help them devise small practical steps towards change. Envisioning a life where the current problem does not exist can act as a reminder that it is possible to change the behavior and provide them with an opportunity to think what they can do to change their present situation. The miracle question works as a question for setting goals which is useful in assisting the clients to choose their preferred future (De Shazer & Dolan, 2012). It can be used to give people hope that the future is luminous if they change their thinking. Everything starts from the mind and once the people seeking counseling starts changing their mindset from negative to positive, their lives begin to change. They view their lives from a positive perspective that helps seek a solution to the current problem. They take charge of their lives and focus on practical steps that change their lives.

References

De Shazer, S., & Dolan, Y. (2012). More than miracles: The state of the art of solution-focused brief therapy. Routledge.

Hammond, S. A. (2013). The thin book of appreciative inquiry. Thin Book Publishing.

Reid, D. B. (2012). Hypnosis for Behavioral Health: A Guide to Expanding Your Professional Practice. New York: Springer Publishing Company.