Constructing a Conversational “Miracle”: Examining the “Miracle Question” as It Is Used in Therapeutic Dialogue

Abstract

Solution-focused counselors use the “miracle question” to elicit problem-free client accounts of experience consistent with the clients’ goals for therapy. In this article, we micro-analyzed how miracle questions were asked and answered by therapists and clients engaged in lifestyle consultations conducted for research purposes. Specifically, we examined the conversational practices and linguistic resources they used in introducing and responding to the use of the miracle question as an unscripted part of their consultation. We also invited clients and therapists back to independently review their participation in videotaped passages where they either asked or responded to miracle questions. Our analyses show the extent to which such developments in therapeutic dialogue are negotiated or socially constructed accomplishments between therapist and client. We relate our findings to optimizing the collaborative and resourceful use of miracle questions in therapeutic dialogue.

This article is a background paper for a presentation given at the Constructivist Psychology Network Conference, Victoria, British Columbia, June 18, 2008. Special thanks to Jerry Gale, Olga Sutherland, and Don Zeman. Funding for this study was made possible by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.