Brief Therapy-Compliments involve validating clients for what they are doing and reinforcing what is working, often by what method?

• A. Directly Praising Without Discussion
• B. Asking the Client to Articulate the Compliment by Answering a Question
• C. Interpreting Dreams
• D. Giving Homework

Answer: (B)

The technique focuses on using compliments as a collaborative way to reinforce progress by having the client voice the positive, not just hear it from the therapist. By asking the client to articulate the compliment through answering a question, the client actively identifies what they’re doing well and why it’s helping, which strengthens self-efficacy and makes the positive behavior feel meaningful and actionable.

Direct praise without discussion can feel surface-level and may not promote internalization or future use of those strategies. Dream interpretation isn’t part of this method, and giving homework is a separate intervention type that isn’t specifically about eliciting the client’s own articulation of the compliment.