Therapeutic Question Repository

Quick Jump: Overview Self-Awareness Meaning & Purpose Relationships MI Questions

Overview

This comprehensive question repository provides mental health counselors and graduate students with carefully curated questions across multiple therapeutic domains. These questions are designed to facilitate deeper client exploration, enhance self-awareness, and promote meaningful therapeutic conversations.

The questions are organized into four main categories, each serving distinct therapeutic purposes:

Using This Repository

Clinical Applications

Use these questions to deepen therapeutic conversations, explore client values and motivations, assess readiness for change, and facilitate insight and self-reflection.
Teaching Tool

Graduate students can use this repository to practice question formulation, understand different questioning styles across modalities, and develop their therapeutic interviewing skills.
Session Planning

Select relevant questions before sessions to guide conversations, explore specific themes, or address particular client concerns. Questions can be adapted to fit individual client needs.

Question Categories

Self-Awareness Questions (75): Promote introspection and personal insight
Meaning & Purpose Questions (95): Explore life meaning, values, and happiness
Relationship Questions (84): Enhance communication and deepen connections
Motivational Interviewing Questions (99): Evoke change talk and strengthen motivation

Self-Awareness Questions

These 75 questions promote self-reflection and personal insight. They help clients explore their feelings, habits, strengths, and life perspectives, fostering deeper self-understanding and emotional intelligence.

Clinical Applications

Use these questions to:

Facilitate self-exploration and personal insight
Identify patterns in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
Explore client values, strengths, and areas for growth
Build self-awareness as a foundation for change
Encourage mindful reflection on life experiences

Questions

How do you currently feel about yourself?
Do you engage in activities to escape your reality?
What do you think you could never, ever give up?
Do you believe every thought you think?
Who (or what) always makes you laugh?
Was there a turning point in your life?
How do you spend the majority of your time?
Do you feel inspired by someone or something?
Are you good at being in the present moment?
What was the last thing you purchased?
Do you often remember your dreams when you wake?
What’s on your to-do list that never gets done?
Would you move to another country?
How would your best friend describe you?
Do you consider your childhood a happy one?
When did you last feel disappointed?
Do you have any (or many) guilty pleasures?
How do you feel when faced with change?
What do you think happens when you die?
Do you believe in giving second chances?
What is your greatest strength?
Do you always say what’s on your mind?
How do you cope with stress?
What would you tell your younger self?
How often do you learn new things?
Do you enjoy spending time with others?
What is your favorite time of day?
How often do you ask others for help?
What is your biggest weakness?
Are you good at establishing boundaries?
What’s the best day you’ve had so far?
Do you frequently make wishes?
What would your ideal career consist of?
Where is your favorite place to be?
Do you say “yes” or “no” more often?
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
How open are you with others?
What is currently worrying you?
Do you enjoy spending time alone?
Which sense do you use the most?
How would you define the meaning of life?
What questions are you asked often?
When was the last time you made a change?
Do you enjoy talking about yourself?
What does the word “birthday” connote?
Who do you call when you’re upset?
How often do you procrastinate?
Do you believe people can really change?
What three words best describe you?
When did you last see the sun rise?
Do you think time heals all wounds?
What is your relationship with technology?
Are you good at letting things go?
Do you prefer morning, afternoon, or night?
What are you currently working on?
Are you attracted to a specific type of person?
Would you like to live in a different decade?
What do you enjoy about adulthood?
Do you think you have a big imagination?
What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken?
Could you live without the internet?
Why do you get out of bed each day?
When did you last make a new friend?
Do you think your ego gets in the way?
What’s the strangest thing you’ve experienced?
How would you describe your personal style?
What do you like/dislike about your gender?
Do you have difficulty sleeping?
What do you want to learn more about?
Can you accept compliments easily?
What can you do really, really well?
Are you living your life for yourself?
What would you like to be remembered for?
Do you feel connected to your culture?
What does the word “self-love” mean to you?

Meaning & Purpose Questions

These 95 questions help clients explore life meaning, personal values, and happiness. They encourage deep reflection on what matters most, life direction, and personal fulfillment.

Clinical Applications

Use these questions to:

Explore existential concerns and life purpose
Clarify personal values and priorities
Facilitate meaning-making after difficult experiences
Support clients in life transitions and decision-making
Enhance gratitude and positive psychology interventions

Questions

In one sentence, who are you?
Why do you matter?
What is your life motto?
What’s something you have that everyone wants?
What is missing in your life?
What’s been on your mind most lately?
Happiness is a ________?
What stands between you and happiness?
What do you need most right now?
What does the child inside you long for?
What is one thing right now that you are totally sure of?
What’s been bothering you lately?
What are you scared of?
What has fear of failure stopped you from doing?
What will you never give up on?
What do you want to remember forever?
What makes you feel secure?
Which activities make you lose track of time?
What’s the most difficult decision you’ve ever made?
What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
What are you most grateful for?
What is worth the pain?
In order of importance, how would you rank: happiness, money, love,health, fame?
What is something you’ve always wanted, but don’t yet have?
What was the most defining moment in your life during this past year?
What’s the number one change you need to make in your life in the next twelve months?
What’s the number one thing you want to achieve in the next five years?
What is the biggest motivator in your life right now?
What will you never do?
What’s something you said you’d never do, but have since done?
What’s something new you recently learned about yourself?
What do you sometimes pretend to understand that you really do not?
In one sentence, what do you wish for your future self?
What worries you most about the future?
When you look into the past, what do you miss most?
What’s something from the past that you don’t miss at all?
What recently reminded you of how fast time flies?
What is the biggest challenge you face right now?
In one word, how would you describe your personality?
What never fails to frustrate you?
What are you known for by your friends and family?
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
What’s a common misconception people have about you?
What’s something a lot of people do that you disagree with?
What’s a belief you hold with which many people disagree?
What’s something that’s harder for you than it is for most people?
What are the top three qualities you look for in a friend?
If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself, how long would you allow that person to be your friend?
When you think of ‘home,’ what, specifically, do you think of?
What’s the most valuable thing you own?
If you had to move 3000 miles away, what would you miss most?
What would make you smile right now?
What do you do when nothing else seems to make you happy?
What do you wish did not exist in your life?
What should you avoid to improve your life?
What is something you would hate to go without for a day?
What’s the biggest lie you once believed was true?
What’s something bad that happened to you that made you stronger?
What’s something nobody could ever steal from you?
What’s something you disliked when you were younger that you truly enjoy today?
What are you glad you quit?
What do you need to spend more time doing?
What are you naturally good at?
What have you been counting or keeping track of recently?
What has the little voice inside your head been saying lately?
What’s something you should always be careful with?
What should always be taken seriously?
What should never be taken seriously?
What are three things you can’t get enough of?
What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
What fascinates you?
What’s the difference between being alive and truly living?
What’s something you would do every day if you could?
At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
Which is worse, failing or never trying?
What makes you feel incomplete?
When did you experience a major turning point in your life?
What or who do you wish you lived closer to?
If you had the opportunity to get a message across to a large group of people, what would your message be?
What’s something you know you can count on?
What makes you feel comfortable?
What’s something about you that has never changed?
What will be different about your life in exactly one year?
What mistakes do you make over and over again?
What do you have a hard time saying “no” to?
Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?
What’s something that used to scare you, but no longer does?
What promise to yourself do you still need to fulfill?
What do you appreciate most about your current situation?
What’s something simple that makes you smile?
So far, what has been the primary focus of your life?
How do you know when it’s time to move on?
What’s something you wish you could do one more time?
When you’re 90-years-old, what will matter to you the most?
What would you regret not fully doing, being, or having in your life?

Relationship Enhancement Questions

These 84 questions are designed to deepen understanding between partners and enhance relationship communication. They cover communication patterns, emotional needs, conflict resolution, intimacy, and shared goals.

Clinical Applications

Use these questions in:

Couples therapy and relationship counseling
Premarital counseling and relationship preparation
Communication skills training
Conflict resolution and problem-solving
Intimacy and connection building

Note: These questions should be used thoughtfully and adapted to each couple's comfort level and therapeutic goals. Some questions address sensitive topics and require appropriate clinical judgment and timing.

Questions

several minutes?
responses to any of the these questions?
uncomfortable when we are alone together?
uncomfortable when we are together in public?
with each other?
makes you want to spend more time with me?
makes you want to spend less time with me?
How do you feel about arguing/fighting?
or frustration?
attention when I've not been able to?
the day? Week? Month? Year?
How long are we in this relationship for?
What will keep us happily together?
fill/satisfy?
Why is that?
should be expecting of yourself?
personal relationships?
that we most want?
other person to change?
order for you to be really happy?
relationship is in trouble?
How will we know if our relationship is over? What activities and common interests can we
develop that will bring us closer together?
you haven't been willing to do with any previous relationship?
stage of our relationship? Is it possible that that will change over the next 10 years?
What's the biggest lesson I can learn from you?
What about our relationship will evolve us both?
What is going to set you off?
What can you say to me before this happens?
What do you do when you feel hurt by me?
something that really hurts you?
What will ruin our relationship?
accepted and no longer have a problem with?
Who do I remind you of? Is that okay?
emotional/psychological state or personality?
What habits do I have that are upsetting you?
sexually by another person?
other one does not?
important which involves both of us?
we want different things on a particular day?
before we go to sleep?
than the other?
becomes a close friend or associate of yours?
relationship?
"I love you" to you?
like touched? How?
like massaged?
How "touchy" do you like to be with me?
How "touchy" do you want me to be with you?
affection)?
Where should I NOT touch you? Why?
How should I touch you differently?
touched for a little while?
hurt and a time out is needed?
entirely? Is it possible?
for your part of the problem?
us a recurring problem?
a recurring problem?
give us a recurring problem?
recurring problem?
us a recurring problem?
recurring problem?
aphrodisiac?
up? Do you prefer sex in the evening? Morning?
Daytime? Anytime?
How many days between sex will be too long?
conversational)?
the house that you like to have sex?
What's the biggest sexual turn off for you?
dominant with me, sexually?
lovemaking? 
you've ever had?
relationship?
would that be?
What about my personality is sexy to you?
forever and ever?
least for now?
never be able to fulfill?
that you're afraid I won't like or will think less of you for?
What drives you wild?
What fantasy would you like to act out with me?
would you want that to be?
positions/activities?
What's the most sacred part of you?

Motivational Interviewing Questions

These 99 questions are specifically designed for Motivational Interviewing practice. They help evoke change talk, explore ambivalence, and strengthen client motivation for behavior change. For the complete MI framework and additional context, see the Motivational Interviewing page.

Clinical Applications

Use these questions to:

Evoke change talk and strengthen motivation
Explore client ambivalence about change
Understand client values, goals, and motivations
Build self-efficacy and confidence
Support clients through stages of change

Note: These questions are organized by theme on the Motivational Interviewing page with additional categorization by MI technique (OARS framework, Change Talk, etc.).