© 2003, Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D. 1

Jeffrey Zeig, PhDDirector and Founder, The Milton H Erickson Foundation

Handouts

www.erickson‐foundation.org/

zeigworkshops/SWS.html

ResilienceAssessment and Treatment Planning: 

An Experiential Approach

Lead by: 

Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D. 

Experiential Assessment

Assessment IS Intervention

Strategic Questions

Assessment IS Intervention

Elicit AND Organize

“I Know I can”

Assessment IS Intervention

© 2003, Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D. 2

Roles for exercise

• Patient who has a problem of lacking resilience.

• Therapist who turns the problem into a positive goal, and provides fill‐in the blank sentences…

I KNOW I CAN….

Detail only in the affirmative (suspend any objections) Provide five answers, using complete sentences. Therapist keeps the person on track and acts as a secretary, writing down the answers:

“I know that I can (will) accomplish ________________ because__________________.”

I KNOW I CAN….

Detail only in the affirmative (suspend any objections) Provide five to ten answers in each category:

“I know that I can (will) accomplish ________________ because__________________.”

Repeat as many times as necessary.

Generic Responses: “A caping pass…”

I KNOW I CAN….

Detail only in the affirmative (suspend any objections) Provide five to ten answers in each category:

“I know that I can (will) accomplish ________________ because__________________.”

Repeat as many times as necessary.

Level One Responses: Motivations (Your reasons and needs for wanting to accomplish ________________.

I KNOW I CAN….

“I know that I can (will) accomplish ________________ because:”__________

Repeat as many times as necessary.

Level Two Responses: Facts (Things you know in the world—and in your world.)

I KNOW I CAN….

"I know that I can (will) accomplish _________ because I am ____________“

Repeat as many times as necessary.

Level Three Responses: Resources‐‐personal strengths and qualities; skills.

© 2003, Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D. 3

I KNOW I CAN….

"I know that I can accomplish _______ because I have done difficult things before, including ________________”

Repeat as many times as necessary.

Level Four Responses: Resources‐‐personal history

I KNOW I CAN….

"I know that I can (will) accomplish ______________ because I have these people, and access to these situations/contexts in my life including __________________.“

Repeat as many times as necessary.

Level Five Reponses: Resources‐social and contextual.

I KNOW I CAN….

Detail only in the affirmative (suspend objections) five or six in each category:

“I know that I can (will) accomplish ________________ because_____________________:”

1. Motivations (Your reasons and needs for wanting to accomplish ________________.

2. Facts (Things you know in yourself and in the world.)3. Resources‐‐personal strengths: "I know that I can accomplish 

________________ because I am ____________“4. Resources‐ personal history: "I know that I can accomplish 

________________ because I have done difficult things before, including ________________”

5. Resources‐social: "I know that I can accomplish ________________ because I have these people, and access to these situations/contexts including __________________."

I KNOW I CAN….Detail only in the affirmative (suspend objections) five or six in each category:

“I know that I can (will) accomplish _______________because_____________________:”

1. Motivations (Your reasons/needs for wanting to accomplish _________.2. Facts (Things you know in yourself and in the world.)3. Resources‐‐personal strengths: "I know that I can accomplish 

________________ because I am ____________“4. Resources‐ personal history: "I know that I can accomplish ____because I have 

done difficult things before, including ________________”5. Resources‐social: "I know that I can accomplish ________________ because I 

have these people, and access to these situations/contexts including __________________.“

6. Second person: “My spouse/family members/friends know that I can accomplish ________________ because __________________.“

7. Third person: “Any stranger knows that I can accomplish ________________ because __________________.“

Process instructions

How to use the resources elicited and re‐organized.

Handouts

www.erickson‐foundation.org/

zeigworkshops/SWS.html

© 2003, Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D. 4

This presentation is Copyright byJeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D. 2011

Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D.The Milton Erickson Foundation

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