What if it doesn’t have to be this way?

Questions to spark hope

Empathy begins by meeting people where they are without judgment. But then what?

How can we give hope? Not false hope. Not a silver lining. Not the solution you’re convinced is best.

In some situations, your presence is hope enough — the assurance they’re not alone.

Other times, there’s an opportunity to give even more hope by asking an open-ended, judgment-free question that reframes the situation. Here are a couple questions you can ask (depending on the situation) to spark hope.

• What’s the hardest part? Why do you think that is?
• What would you do if this were easy? How might you ‘act as if’?
• If I were in your situation, what would you tell me?
• What if it doesn’t have to be this way? What alternatives might there be?

The key is to always ask out of care and curiosity.