Table of ContentsView AllTable of Contents10 Common Open-Ended Therapist QuestionsOpen vs Closed-Ended QuestionsTypes of QuestionsUses in Daily LifeFrequently Asked Questions

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

10 Common Open-Ended Therapist Questions

Open vs Closed-Ended Questions

Types of Questions

Uses in Daily Life

Frequently Asked Questions

Close

An open-ended question is a question that can’t be answered with just one word or phrase. Open-ended questions require longer explanations and more thought than a question whose answer can just be “Fine,” “Good,” or “OK.”

When therapists ask open-ended questions, it’s often to help people talk about their experiences and problems and build a therapeutic rapport with them. Open-ended questions for counseling allow people to express their feelings and share thoughts they might not otherwise explore.

If you’ve ever been intherapy, you have probably noticed that your therapist asks a lot of open-ended questions. In fact, this has even become a source of humor in pop culture. Bob Newhart’s famous question, “How did that make you feel?” has become a standard way to lampoon therapy.

But open-ended questions are not only a useful tool in therapy, they are also a good way to start conversations in day-to-day life.

This article explores some common types of therapist questions and the value of these seemingly vague kinds of questions. It also discusses open-ended questions for counseling that you might encounter during your sessions and how such questions can also be used in everyday conversations.

Every therapist is different, as are the approaches they may use. These are some common open-ended questions for counseling that your therapist may ask you at your first appointment:

Some of these questions can be repeated any time you bring in a new topic or problem to therapy. They may help you start attacking the issue and really dig into how you are feeling.

What to Expect During Your First Therapy Session

Open-Ended vs. Closed-Ended Therapist Questions

Most therapists are trained toask open-ended questions. Open-ended questions are ones that allow you to provide whatever amount of detail you want, rather than simply answering “yes” or “no.” Open-ended questions encourage you to share relevant material about your life, your way of thinking, and your beliefs.

Consider the following sentences:

The material covered is identical, but the answers will likely be very different. The first question is a closed-ended question. The expected reply is “yes” or “no.” If a therapist asks that question and gets one of those answers, the ball is back in the therapist’s court to encourage a fuller response. With a closed-ended question, a client may choose to say more, but often they do not.

What Not to Say to Your Therapist

There is another important difference between these two sentences. Number one is a leading question - it introduces the idea of “good” when maybe the client would not have used this term or thought about their relationship with their parents in this way.

This is not a particularly troubling example of a leading question, but consider a question like, “Did your father sexually abuse you?” Due to the fact that this question may prompt a certain answer, therapists generally avoid asking ones like that.

One pitfall to avoid is when your open-ended question is actually closed-ended. Sometimes you craft a question that is complicated and seems to you to be open-ended, but in fact, can result in an answer that is basically yes-or-no.

“Double-barreled” questions, or two questions disguised as one, often fall into this trap. Saying something like, “What is the problem and how does it make you feel?” might make the client feel pressured to answer both questions at once, which might lead to simpler or less informative answers.

Types of Open-Ended Questions for Counseling

Open-ended therapist questions are likely to feature the typical “who, what, where, when, why, and how” used in good journalism. These questions draw out different kinds of responses that can be useful for a therapist.

The proper tone of voice is important when asking any question, specifically when asking “why” questions. Starting a question with “why” can seem accusatory and cause a person to respond defensively. Using a non-judgmental tone can prevent this response, as can starting the question with a phrase like, “It seems to me that you are feeling X way about this. Why is that?”

Using Open-Ended Questions in Daily Life

Therapists aren’t the only ones who benefit from using open-ended questions. Anyone can use open-ended questions in their daily life. The truth is, you’re much more likely to get a conversation flowing and connect with people when you ask open-ended versus closed-ended questions.

If you are talking with someone you don’t know very well, ask them open-ended questions. In fact, if you think of a question with a yes-or-no answer, see if you can change it into a more open-ended version and ask that instead. The conversation will likely move along more easily, and you will get to know that person on a deeper level.

Closed-Ended QuestionsHow are you?Do you like your job?Are you an only child?Did you like living there?Open-Ended QuestionsWhat’s on your mind?Why did you choose this field?Tell me about your family.What was it like living there?

Closed-Ended QuestionsHow are you?Do you like your job?Are you an only child?Did you like living there?

How are you?

Do you like your job?

Are you an only child?

Did you like living there?

Open-Ended QuestionsWhat’s on your mind?Why did you choose this field?Tell me about your family.What was it like living there?

What’s on your mind?

Why did you choose this field?

Tell me about your family.

What was it like living there?

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A Word From Verywell

Open-ended therapist questions are not meant to be vague, evasive, or annoying. Rather, they are your therapist’s way of getting to know you, like what makes you tick, what you think, what bugs you, what you love, and how they can best help you. Your responses will likely offer them more helpful information than if they were to simply ask “yes” or “no” questions.

Consider asking open-ended questions in your day-to-day to prompt the beginning of longer and more insightful conversations, and see how they affect your own relationships.

It’s a good idea to ask your therapist a number of questions before you start therapy. Examples include:What are your strengths and limitations?What is your treatment philosophy?What type of training and experience do you have?What led you to become a counselor?What qualities make you a good counselor?It’s also a good idea to ask if your therapist is in therapy themselves.

It’s a good idea to ask your therapist a number of questions before you start therapy. Examples include:

It’s also a good idea to ask if your therapist is in therapy themselves.

Open-ended questions are designed to help clients reflect on their feelings and elaborate on their experiences. Such questions encourage people to share more details about their lives, relationships, opinions, and problems.

Ten examples of open-ended questions you could ask in everyday conversations include:

Small talk topicsthat make great conversation starters include:What’s a good book you’ve read lately?What’s the best gift you’ve ever gotten?What do you like best about what you do?What’s the most exciting project you are working on?What’s the best thing that’s happened to you this week?What are your plans for the weekend?

Small talk topicsthat make great conversation starters include:

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3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Jawad Hashim M.Patient-centered communication: Basic skills.Am Fam Physician. 2017;95(1):29-34.Souders B. PostivePsychology.com.Therapy questions every therapist should be asking. March 18, 2020Nemec PB, Spagnolo AC, Soydan AS.Can you hear me now? Teaching listening skills.Psychiatr Rehabil J. 2017;40(4):415-417. doi:10.1037/prj0000287

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Jawad Hashim M.Patient-centered communication: Basic skills.Am Fam Physician. 2017;95(1):29-34.Souders B. PostivePsychology.com.Therapy questions every therapist should be asking. March 18, 2020Nemec PB, Spagnolo AC, Soydan AS.Can you hear me now? Teaching listening skills.Psychiatr Rehabil J. 2017;40(4):415-417. doi:10.1037/prj0000287

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Jawad Hashim M.Patient-centered communication: Basic skills.Am Fam Physician. 2017;95(1):29-34.Souders B. PostivePsychology.com.Therapy questions every therapist should be asking. March 18, 2020Nemec PB, Spagnolo AC, Soydan AS.Can you hear me now? Teaching listening skills.Psychiatr Rehabil J. 2017;40(4):415-417. doi:10.1037/prj0000287

Jawad Hashim M.Patient-centered communication: Basic skills.Am Fam Physician. 2017;95(1):29-34.

Souders B. PostivePsychology.com.Therapy questions every therapist should be asking. March 18, 2020

Nemec PB, Spagnolo AC, Soydan AS.Can you hear me now? Teaching listening skills.Psychiatr Rehabil J. 2017;40(4):415-417. doi:10.1037/prj0000287

Hannah Owens, LMSW

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