| Aim or sub-task | Guiding questions |
| Formulate a hypothetical solution | Imagine this issue of ‘attacking’ solved out, what would be different? What would you see different? How would you respond or do differently? How would they respond to your response? What would you hear different? What would you think/feel different? |
| Identify critical factors in hypothetical solution | What might have you done that helped your child (or yourself) to have more ability to manage frustration more constructively/acceptably? When the “escalating problem” was resolved, how do you think you would respond instead in challenging situations? When you responded like this, what effect do you imagine it would have on the other? |
| Identify an exception to the problem | When have you been able to help your child to better cope with frustration and anger? When have you been able to cope better yourself? Have you ever been able to resist the impulse to hit (back)? Have you ever been able to (help them) express your/their frustration without harming others? Have you ever been able to stop the “escalation”?
What did you do different on that occasion? What else did you notice when you did? What was different? |
| Amplify exception in the present | How did you did that (exceptional response)?
How else did you empower yourself to be patient and understanding, and didn’t let frustration manage/drive you? How did you manage not to surrender to the anxiety that came up for you when you saw your child was…? Where did you learn that? What did you do to get ready or prepare to make that step in that occasion? What other personal resources did you rely on to make this step? What did you notice different in the relationship with your child when you did that (exceptional response)? What did you notice different in yourself? What did other members of your family noticed? Who was the first in noticing the difference? Who was the second? Third? How did others respond? How did you feel when they did that? How did the rest of your day go after this happened? What did you notice later? |
| Co-create a new future | When you act upon these ideas/exceptional experiences, what difference will it make for you? What difference will it make about how you feel about the episode? About yourself?
When you feel like that, what will be easier to do from that mindset/mood/state of mind/stance etc.? How will this orient you towards a new direction in your life? While you continue going in this preferred direction, how will your new future be different from your old future? |
| Formulate a step by step plan | Would you be interested in working (with your parents) to figure out new ways to (expand exceptions/resist problems)?
Who else could we recruit as part of your supporting team? How could they help with this? What could their contributions be? What difference does it make for your next steps knowing that you were capable of resisting the immediate impulse this time? What ideas does this success give you about what your next step could be? How will you know that your next step was successful? How else would you like to restrict the power that “frustration” may have in your family? |
