Socratic questioning: Changing minds or guiding discovery? - summary of an article by Padesky, 1993

Padesky, C.A. (1993). Socratic questioning: Changing minds or guiding discovery?

Socratic questioning involves asking the client questions which: 1) the client has the knowledge to answer 2) draw the client’s attention to information which is relevant to the issue being discussed but which may be outside the client’s current focus 3) generally move from the concrete to the more abstract so that 4) the client can, in the end, apply the new information to either reevaluate a previous conclusion or construct a new idea.

The guided discovery process has four stages: 1) asking informational questions, the client must know the answers, bring into awareness relevant and potential helpful information, and the questions strive to make the client’s concerns concrete and understandable. 2) listening, the therapist must listen to the answers. Socratic questioning is guided discovery, so the therapist must be open to discover the unexpected even if (s)he anticipates a specific answer. Also listen for idiosyncratic words and emotional reactions. Listening for unexpected parts and reflecting them back often intensifies client affect and create new and faster inroads to core schema and life themes. 3) summarizing. When you are suing Socratic questioning, there should be a summary every few minutes. This is a chance for therapist and client to discover if they are understanding things in similar ways. It gives the client a chance to look at all the new information as a whole. 4) Synthesizing or analytical questions, the therapist completes the guided discovery process by asking the client a synthesizing or analytical question which applies this new information to the client’s original concern or belief.