This is a simple way to expose deeper emotions, the hierarchy of values, and explore the new motivations for the client’s desires and attachments to specific outcomes.

We do this by asking, “What would that give you that you wouldn’t otherwise have?” For example,

Therapist: “What do you want?”

Client: “Start my own business”

Therapist: “And what would that give you that you wouldn’t otherwise have?”

Client: “money, obviously”

Therapist: “And what would money give you that you wouldn’t otherwise have?”

Client: “Well, freedom for a change…”

Therapist: “And what would freedom give you that you wouldn’t otherwise have?”

Client: “the people’s respect”

Therapist: (meta model) “and whose respect do you wish to feel the most?”

Client: “my wife”

From wishing to start a business to earn more money, we discover the client’s internal propulsion system (self-motivation) is linked to the respect he feels his wife is giving him. Now we have a deep structural reference for future change work.