In the subsequent sessions the therapist uses the
‘EARS question set’. EARS is an acronym for Eliciting,
Amplifying, Reinforcing and Start again, and
outlines the therapeutic process (Bannink 2010).
The first question is: ‘What is better?’. The individual
can respond in three different ways: ‘It is
better’, ‘There is no change’ or ‘It is worse’. If the
situation is better, the therapist can respond by
amplifying (‘What exactly is (somewhat) better?),
reinforcing (‘How did you manage to do that?’) and
starting again [‘What (else) is better?’]. EARS can
also be used if the person thinks there is no change.
The therapist acknowledges the client’s potential,
emphasises that keeping things stable is also a good
accomplishment, and asks the individual to explain
how he or she managed to keep things stable. If the
situation is worsening and the person with MID is
disappointed, the therapist also acknowledges this. A
reorientation to the goal may be necessary or the
therapist could ask the person resilience questions,
which may offer re-entry to the EARS questions.
‘Consolidation questions’ are used at the end of the
therapy to increase the likelihood that the client will
keep on working towards the desired goal, e.g.
‘What do you have to do to make sure that these
results keep happening?’