Circular question

A circular question (also: triadic question ) is a technique that is used in systemic therapy . This technique consists in asking the feelings and reactions that person A develops as a result of B's ​​behavior, not directly from person A, but from a third person C. Example: “Tell Hans, what do you think your mother is feels when she sees your father crying like that? "

It should be noted that the questions can also contain hypotheses or influence the communication space and the area of ​​the construction of possibilities within a system and, in the best case, expand them constructively.

In the above example, the question assumes that there is something perceptible from the field of emotions and that Hans is assigned the communicative ability to represent his perception. If Hans has never spoken about feelings within this system, he would have the first opportunity today and would expand the scope for possible communication within the system.

Use in coaching and counseling situations

Circular thinking differs from linear causal thinking, which aims at understandable cause-effect relationships. Asking circularly means “asking around the corner”. For example, by introducing an outside perspective: "What do you think our customers think of our department?"

literature

• Fritz B. Simon , Christel Rech-Simon: Circular questions. Systemic Therapy in Case Studies: A Learning Book. 6th edition. Carl Auer Systems Verlag, Heidelberg 2004, ISBN 3-89670-219-X .