| Topic | Problem-Focused | Strength-Based |
| Example | “Why have you been truant twice a week for the last month?” | What factors helped you to make it to school on time, all day for three days a week for the last month? |
| Family | “Does your family have a history of violence?” OR “Has anyone in your family ever been to jail or prison or been on probation?” | What would you like to say about your family? |
| Peers | “How much alcohol and drugs are your friends doing?” OR “Do you have any friends in a gang?” | What can you say about the strengths of your peers/friends? |
| School/Work | “Why are you failing this class?” OR “Why haven’t you been able to get a job yet?” | What would you say about your best school classes? How has it been going since you started looking for work? |
| Drugs | “Do you think you have a drug problem?” OR “Why do you think you are using drugs so much?” | What has helped you to avoid using drugs? |
| Mental Health | “Have you ever been in therapy; why?” OR “Are there any areas of your life that are troubling you, that you worry about, or feel very sad about?” | What has helped you with mental health challenges? |
| Being in Trouble | “Didn’t you realize that you would get into this kind of trouble if you did__________? | Talk about strengths have helped you be successful? |