How to Coach Yourself and Others Coaching Families | Page 272

When affect and cognition are difficult to ascertain, problem tracking becomes a key strategy. This helps
explain the key role that problem tracking plays especially when dealing with reluctant clients or with clients
who present many difficulties.
Problem Tracking and its Pivotal Position.
In general, when therapeutic strategies do not seem to be working effectively, the strategic use of problem
tracking may jump-start the therapeutic process. It may bring to light the problem-maintaining sequences of
familial interactions (i.e., negative or unwanted behaviors that perpetuate themselves). However, once those
unwanted interactive behaviors are examined in the therapeutic process, the palpable knowledge of their
existence may often become the basis for the generation of new kinds of questions that may lead to the
successful resolution of the client problem.
Because problem-tracking sequences are often able to overcome client reluctance to engage in dialogue, they
acquire pivotal positions from which many other therapeutic strategies may be launched in the resolution of
problems.
Integrative Options
Once problem tracking has proved to be successful in disarming client reluctance or client resistance (when
prior strategies weren’t able to do so), this becomes an opportunity to revisit and utilize prior strategies. While
problem tracking is useful by itself (examination of behavioral interactions), it acquires more worth by being a
conduit to other strategies and allowing them to perform their functions. Once problem tracking has performed
its job, the therapist—in an integrative format—may return any number of strategies.
When the problem-tracking strategy overcomes a roadblock in the process of interviewing, many strategies
become available. The therapist has immediate access to a host of strategies, such as the ones discussed in prior
chapters (for instance, utilization, dyadic/triadic, normalization, deframing, coping, and pessimistic sequences).
In addition, therapists may also employ other prominent strategies such as those listed below.
• Exception-oriented questions
• Miracle question sequence
• Problem dissolution.
The problem dissolution strategy seems to be underutilized, yet it constitutes one of the typically important
postmodernist strategies.

16. CONVERSATIONAL QUESTIONS
In a sense, a deep return to eliciting basics, and a major resourceful strategy when clients are reluctant to
discuss their affect, behavior, and cognition. It has been found to be particularly useful with “highly entrenched
and traumatized families” and in cases where there are “family secrets.” It embodies a special tripartite
therapeutic focus on employing a not-know