A man calls a hot line and tells the mental health worker he wants to die. The volunteer asks, “Does this have to do with being abused as a child?” The man is startled and says, “Why, uh, no. Not really.” The worker asks, “Well, what’s the problem?” What open question would you have asked to help the man talk about what was troubling him? 

Above are some vignettes in which the worker asks closed questions. Write an open question you think might work better in each situation, and be prepared to tell why you think the closed question is not useful.