What to Ask About: A checklist for psychotherapists and counselors

Every two weeks, a psychotherapist consults with me about his practice. Today, he asked me,

I have a client who keeps coming back and every session says everything’s fine. He comes back because he likes reporting on what happened that week and telling me his plans for next week. I feel okay about continuing to take his money but I’m bored just listening to him and am wondering if there’s a way to add more value. Do you have any suggestions?

I asked if he had queried the client about a wide-enough range of life’s aspects that might unearth a fertile area for exploration. The therapist asked me if I had a list of such aspects. When I gave him one, he suggested that other therapists and counselors might benefit from seeing it, so I provided it as my PsychologyToday.com contribution today.