ABSTRACT
When situations don’t seem to be improving, it can be helpful to have parents, children, or ad olescents speculate as to why things aren’t worse. This can be especially helpful when, as a ther apist, your attempts to help don’t seem to be producing the results that clients are seeking. Once those resilient qualities and actions that have kept things from “bottoming out” have been identi fied, therapists can help clients to build on them and perhaps change the direction of change. This exercise can help clinicians and clients acknowledge the difficulties being faced while si multaneously searching for those qualities and actions that keep people afloat.
