ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the key preconditions necessary for effective Socratic questioning. There are a number of things a therapist can do to increase the likelihood that they will be able to use effective Socratic strategies in-session. Having a strong therapeutic alliance is important across therapies, and a strong alliance would suggest an agreement on treatment goals and the method to accomplish these goals. CBT session structure helps maximize session efficiency and facilitates productive sessions. CBT is inherently a skills training therapy and we are just as interested in you teaching your clients how to apply Socratic strategies to their own thought process as we are in bringing about cognitive change. Self-monitoring is a crucial first step in treatment where we teach clients to notice and track their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. As they come to see a connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, we use that to build a rationale for using cognitive and behavioral change strategies like Socratic questioning. Developing mastery in these areas will make it easier for you and your clients to use Socratic strategies to help overcome the barriers in their life. This chapter is particularly important because novice therapists frequently fail to attend to these foundational elements, often resulting in failed Socratic strategies. This chapter is rich with case examples.
