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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>= Landscape of action questions =<br />
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== Short definition ==<br />
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Landscape of action questions are narrative questions that explore what happened, who was involved, what actions were taken, and how events unfolded.<br />
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== Level ==<br />
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[[LEVEL 4 — TECHNIQUES AND INTERVENTIONS]]<br />
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== Expanded definition ==<br />
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Landscape of action questions are used in narrative therapy to explore the concrete details of an event or unique outcome.<br />
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They focus on observable action and sequence.<br />
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They ask:<br />
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* what happened<br />
* when it happened<br />
* where it happened<br />
* who was involved<br />
* what people did<br />
* what happened next<br />
* how the sequence developed<br />
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Landscape of action questions help ground the conversation in lived experience before moving into meaning, values and identity.<br />
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They are often used alongside landscape of meaning questions.<br />
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Together, they support re-authoring conversations and preferred story development.<br />
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== Purpose of this technique ==<br />
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The purpose of this technique is to build a detailed account of events.<br />
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It helps people:<br />
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* describe what happened clearly<br />
* identify moments of difference<br />
* notice actions that may have been overlooked<br />
* map sequences and responses<br />
* identify unique outcomes<br />
* prepare for meaning-making questions<br />
* connect small actions to preferred stories<br />
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== When to use this technique ==<br />
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Use landscape of action questions when:<br />
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* a unique outcome has appeared<br />
* the therapist needs more detail<br />
* the person speaks in general descriptions<br />
* a story needs grounding in specific events<br />
* the therapist wants to map a sequence<br />
* re-authoring conversations are beginning<br />
* the work needs to move from vague meaning to concrete action<br />
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== How to use this technique ==<br />
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Ask for specific details.<br />
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Stay close to the event.<br />
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Avoid moving too quickly into interpretation.<br />
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Once the event is clear, the therapist can then move towards landscape of meaning questions.<br />
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For example:<br />
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First ask:<br />
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“What happened next?”<br />
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Then later ask:<br />
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“What does this say about what matters to you?”<br />
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== Example prompts / questions ==<br />
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* What brought you here?<br />
* What was happening then?<br />
* Can you give me a step-by-step account of the episode?<br />
* When did you first notice it?<br />
* Who was there?<br />
* What did you do first?<br />
* What did the other person do?<br />
* What happened next?<br />
* What did you notice was different?<br />
* How did the problem affect you?<br />
* What did others do when the problem came into the family home?<br />
* What was the first sign that something different was happening?<br />
* How did the episode end?<br />
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== Non-clinical example ==<br />
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A person says they “handled a difficult meeting better than usual”.<br />
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The therapist asks what happened before the meeting, what the person did first, what was said, how others responded, and what happened afterwards.<br />
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This helps identify the actions that made the difference possible.<br />
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== Clinical example ==<br />
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A family says that a recent argument did not escalate.<br />
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The therapist asks who was present, what each person said, who paused, what happened next, and how the conversation ended.<br />
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These details help the family notice specific actions that interrupted the usual pattern.<br />
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== What this technique can open up ==<br />
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Landscape of action questions can open:<br />
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* unique outcome development<br />
* sequence mapping<br />
* scaffolding conversations<br />
* landscape of meaning questions<br />
* re-authoring conversations<br />
* recognition of agency<br />
* clearer understanding of interactional patterns<br />
* practical future planning<br />
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== Risks, cautions and ethical considerations ==<br />
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These questions can feel like interrogation if asked too quickly or too many at once.<br />
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The therapist should use curiosity and pacing.<br />
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The therapist should avoid treating the account as a factual investigation. The focus is therapeutic meaning, not forensic accuracy.<br />
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Different family members may remember events differently. This can be explored respectfully.<br />
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== Questions before using this technique ==<br />
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* What event am I exploring?<br />
* Is the person ready to describe it in detail?<br />
* Could detailed recall feel overwhelming?<br />
* What level of detail is useful?<br />
* How can I avoid sounding investigative?<br />
* What meaning questions may follow?<br />
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== Questions during use ==<br />
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* Am I staying close to the event?<br />
* Is the person becoming clearer or overwhelmed?<br />
* Are important actions becoming visible?<br />
* Are differences appearing?<br />
* Do I need to ask another person’s perspective?<br />
* Is it time to move to meaning and identity?<br />
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== Questions after use ==<br />
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* What actions became visible?<br />
* What sequence was mapped?<br />
* What unique outcome appeared?<br />
* What values might be connected to these actions?<br />
* What landscape of meaning questions should follow?<br />
* How could this event support a preferred story?<br />
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== Related epistemologies ==<br />
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[[Narrative epistemology]]<br />
[[Social constructionism]]<br />
[[Poststructuralist epistemology]]<br />
[[Postmodern epistemology]]<br />
[[Relational epistemology]]<br />
[[Systemic epistemology]]<br />
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== Related schools and models ==<br />
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[[Narrative]]<br />
[[Systemic Therapy]]<br />
[[Brief Solution Focused]]<br />
[[Conversational]]<br />
[[Dialogic]]<br />
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== Related concepts ==<br />
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[[Re-authoring#Landscape of Action|Landscape of action]]<br />
[[Re-authoring#Landscape of Identity|Landscape of meaning]]<br />
[[Unique outcomes]]<br />
[[Stories lived vs stories told]]<br />
[[Preferred story#Agency|Agency]]<br />
[[Resistance]]<br />
[[Alternative story]]<br />
[[Preferred story]]<br />
[[Meaning-making]]<br />
[[Narrative identity|Identity construction]]<br />
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== Related methods ==<br />
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[[Landscape of action and identity mapping]]<br />
[[Unique outcome development]]<br />
[[Scaffolding conversations]]<br />
[[Re-authoring conversations]]<br />
[[Alternative story development]]<br />
[[Preferred story development]]<br />
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== Related pathways ==<br />
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[[Narrative pathway]]<br />
[[Brief Solution Focused pathway]]<br />
[[Conversational pathway]]<br />
[[Dialogic pathway]]<br />
[[Family and relational dynamics pathway]]<br />
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== Key theorists / contributors ==<br />
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[[Michael White]]<br />
[[David Epston]]<br />
[[Alice Morgan]]<br />
[[Jill Freedman]]<br />
[[Gene Combs]]<br />
[[Lev Vygotsky]]<br />
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== Key texts / references ==<br />
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* White, M. (2007). ''Maps of Narrative Practice''. Norton.<br />
* White, M., & Epston, D. (1990). ''Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends''. Norton.<br />
* Morgan, A. (2000). ''What Is Narrative Therapy? An Easy-to-Read Introduction''. Dulwich Centre Publications.<br />
* Freedman, J., & Combs, G. (1996). ''Narrative Therapy: The Social Construction of Preferred Realities''. Norton.<br />
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== Notes / source material ==<br />
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Landscape of action questions are usually strengthened by landscape of meaning questions.<br />
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The action tells us what happened; the meaning explores why it matters.<br />
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'''Review status'''<br />
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'''Status:''' Open for review<br />
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'''Review history:'''<br />
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