Closed-ended Questions

Morrison suggests using closed-ended questions, “when you know what sort of specific information may be relevant to diagnosis and therapy, closed-ended questions work especially well” (p.112). So, in previous chapters Morrison explained that open-ended questions help to build report with clients, and that is an important aspect of the interview process. However, it is equally important to get direct answers to questions that the counselor needs the answer to, and this is best done by asking questions that require a “yes” or “no” response.

            Open and closed-questions are not an exact science, nor is it a technique that requires the use of one over the other. The type of question that will be used is going to depend on the information that the counselor wishes to facilitate. If the client answers a question with information, but the therapist still has a question then the next question should be more direct: a closed-question. Closed-questions will help to direct the client to give a straight forward answer, and this discourages the client from avoiding the question. There might be times when the question(s) cause such a change in the client that the therapist will want to decide if they want to proceed or save that topic for later. 

 

References

 

Morrison, J., (2008). The First Interview. (3^rd Ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.