A minimalist version of the Miracle Question developed in London BRIEF. Instead of a long ritual wording about a miracle, the therapist asks a short question about tomorrow, linked directly to the client's best hopes. The focus is not on absence of the problem but on the presence of what is wanted. The therapist helps the client describe an ordinary day transformed by the best hopes in detailed behavioral and sensory terms, including what the client notices, what other people notice, and how interactions change.
Step-by-step guide
- Connect to Best Hopes: "If you woke up tomorrow and [best hopes] were beginning to happen, what would be the first thing you noticed?"
- Build a simple sequence of the day: morning, daytime, evening.
- Deepen through second-order differences: "What might be different in the way you go to work on such a day?"
- Add other people's perspectives: "What would your partner or colleague notice? What would they see that was different?"
- Look for instances: moments when something from the description is already happening.
When to use
- First session after best hopes, usually as the main part of the conversation.
- When the client struggles to formulate a concrete goal.
- When the client is stuck in a problem-saturated narrative.
- As preparation for finding instances: describe first, then find what is already there.
Key phrases
If you woke up tomorrow and your best hopes had started to come true, what would be the very first thing you noticed?
Follow-up questions
What might be different in the way you spend that morning?
What would your partner or colleague notice? What would be different in you?
What else would you notice? What else would be different?
Alternative phrasings
Suppose tomorrow these hopes entered your life. What would be the first sign?
How would you recognize that your best hopes were happening?
Warnings
- ⚠️ Do not turn the description into an action plan or obligation.
- ⚠️ Use tentative language: "what might" rather than "what will."
- ⚠️ Do not invite an ideal day; invite an ordinary life changed by the presence of best hopes.
- ⚠️ Deepen with concrete detail, not abstract lists.
Source: Ratner, George & Iveson, 2012; George, Iveson & Ratner, 1999; BRIEF (London)
Materials are informational and educational and summarize publicly available scientific sources. They are not medical or psychological advice, are not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, and do not replace consultation with a qualified professional.