The Art of Systemic Inquiry: A Practical Guide

This book provides a detailed guide to the principles and application of systemic questioning. It is designed for practitioners who wish to deepen their understanding of systemic inquiry and apply it effectively in systemic coaching and systemic therapy.
The content begins with the foundations of systemic communication, tracing the development of systems thinking from linear to circular causality. It explores the significance of systemic-relational psychology and the essential attitudes of a systemic practitioner, such as impartiality and neutrality. The guide explains how to formulate hypotheses as a process tool and applies constructivist principles to practice, with a focus on solution-oriented communication, resource identification, and appreciation.
A central part of the book is dedicated to a comprehensive toolkit of systemic questions. This includes techniques for pattern recognition and perspective expansion, such as scaling questions and triadic questions. Readers will learn about solution-focused methods like the miracle question and its variations, as well as questions about exceptions to the problem. The guide also covers how to use questioning to influence time perspectives, incorporating future-oriented questions for vision work and past-oriented questions for resource activation.
The practical application of systemic questioning in action is a key focus. The book details the entire process, from preparation and clarifying the client’s mandate to establishing a working relationship and constructively managing silence. It shows how to stimulate external perspectives within the client’s system and integrate systemic exercises. The final chapters are dedicated to specific fields of application, demonstrating how to use these techniques in systemic coaching for goal setting, in organizational consulting for context clarification, and in systemic therapy for interpreting symptoms in families or exploring relationship dynamics. Further applications in conflict mediation, educational settings, and team development are also addressed.