Socratic questions with children: Recommendations and cautionary tales.
Abstract
This clinically focused article offers cognitive behavior therapists recommendations and cautionary tales for using the Socratic method when working with children. The importance of the therapeutic relationship in combination with developmental considerations is discussed. The use of Socratic method in various cognitive behavioral modules is illustrated by means of case examples. Dialogues provide examples of how the cognitive specificity hypothesis and downward arrow technique can be used to support young clients in eliciting negative automatic thoughts. The importance of pacing, the mixing of closed and open-ended questions, and behavioral experiments to aid cognitive restructuring are also highlighted through extracts from clinical conversations. Finally, the article emphasizes that the purpose of the Socratic method is to broaden thinking and to access new knowledge rather than just giving young clients new thoughts and problem solving strategies.
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One key aspect of delivering CBTs to young clients is maintaining a developmentally appropriate manner to delivery to enhance motivation and engagement in therapy.
“One key aspect of delivering CBTs to young clients is maintaining a developmentally appropriate manner to delivery to enhance motivation and engagement in therapy (see McLachlan et al., 2016).”
From Integrating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with Psychological Skills Training (PST): a case study (2025) · cites this paper as McLachlan et al., 2016
Socratic questioning is best described as systematic questioning and inductive reasoning that attenuates cognitive misinterpretations and other inductive or deductive errors.
“Socratic questioning – best described as systematic questioning and inductive reasoning that attenuates cognitive misinterpretations and other inductive or deductive errors (McLachlan et al., 2016)”
From Integrating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with Psychological Skills Training (PST): a case study (2025) · cites this paper as McLachlan et al., 2016
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Self-citation
- Authors
- McLachlan, N. H., Eastwood, L., & Friedberg, R. D.
- Affiliations
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- West London Mental Health NHS Trust (GB)
- Palo Alto University (US)
- ORCID
- Friedberg, Robert D.
- Venue
- Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy
- Publisher
- Springer Publishing Company
- Published
- 2016
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 105-119
- ISSN
- 0889-8391 (ISSN-L)
- 1938-887X
- OpenAlex
- W2481793385
- Cited by
- 14
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 1.79
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Assessments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- Socratic method, children, cognitive behavioral therapy, therapeutic relationship, negative automatic thoughts, pacing, open-ended questions, behavioral experiments, cognitive restructuring, developmental considerations
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