Part 4: My Top 5 Go-To Solution-Focused Questions for Students

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a solution-focused school counselor is this: you get more of what you focus on.

When we focus on what’s working and what’s going well, we tend to see more progress, more confidence, and more hope. When we focus only on what’s wrong, the negative quickly becomes all we can see. That belief sits at the heart of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) and guides how I talk with students every day.

You don’t need dozens of techniques to practice SFBT well. You just need a few solid questions that help students notice what’s working and build from there.

These are my top five go-to SFBT questions—the ones I use most often when time is limited and students need clarity and direction.

1. The Scaling Question

“On a scale of 1 to 10, where are you right now?”

Scaling questions help students pause and notice what’s already going okay—even when things feel hard.

I often follow up with:

• “What makes it that number and not lower?”

• “What would one step up look like?”

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This keeps the focus on positives and progress. When students identify what’s working—even a little—they start seeing themselves as capable of change.

2. The Miracle Question

“If you woke up tomorrow and this problem was solved, what would be different?”

The miracle question shifts attention away from the problem and toward possibility. Instead of replaying what’s wrong, students imagine what better looks like.

That future-focused thinking matters. When students can picture something positive, they’re more likely to move toward it.

What if, while you sleep, your problem disappeared?

3. The Exception Question

“When is this problem not happening, or happening less?”

This is one of my favorite questions because it directly challenges negative thinking. It reminds students that the problem doesn’t control every moment.

By focusing on exceptions, students start to notice patterns of success—and once they see those, they often want more of them.

4. The Coping Question

“How have you managed to get through this so far?”

Even when students are struggling, they are still surviving. This question helps them recognize their own strength instead of only seeing their challenges.

It reinforces the idea that what we focus on grows—and focusing on resilience builds confidence.

5. The Small Next Step Question

“What’s one small thing you could try next?”

Solution-focused work isn’t about fixing everything at once. It’s about movement.

Small steps keep students focused on progress instead of problems—and once they see progress, they’re more likely to keep going.

Final Encouragement

You truly get more of what you focus on. If we focus on positives and what’s working, we help students see more positives in themselves and their situations. If we focus only on the negative, that’s all they—and we—will notice.

Being solution-focused isn’t about ignoring problems or being unrealistically positive. It’s about intentionally choosing where to place our attention. Each question we ask helps students shift their focus just a little—and those small shifts can create meaningful change.

Consistency matters more than perfection. Keep practicing. Keep refocusing. And keep helping students see that solutions are already within reach.

👉 Coming next in the series: “Common Mistakes New School Counselors Make When Trying to Be Solution-Focused (and How to Fix Them)”