Life coach goes viral with “miracle” question that could supposedly make you instantly happier… but will it work for YOU?

By Maiya Focht, Health Reporter for Dailymail.Com

19:18 June 17, 2024, updated 19:34 June 17, 2024

Asking yourself a simple question could save hundreds of dollars in therapy costs, claims a mental coach.

In a popular TikTok clip, Olesya Luraschi, a Harvard-trained leadership and high-performance coach, answered what psychologists call the “miracle question.”

She said it can help people change their attitudes and behaviors after just one therapy session, leading to improved performance at work and an increased sense of fulfillment.

The TikTok video, which has garnered more than 425,000 views, asks: “Suppose you wake up tomorrow and are happy. What would be different?”

Asking this simple question can help clients “turn around” their dream life, rather than getting bogged down in their current problems, by identifying clear steps they need to take to achieve their dream life, she says.

Ms. Luraschi runs a private practice where she focuses on coaching people in the technology industry and shares psychology tips on her TikTok account, where she has over 128,000 followers and 1.8 million likes.

Some commentators were not impressed by her proposal.

“Most people have no idea what would make them happy,” said user5636243237705.

Neillien wrote: “If I woke up tomorrow and was happy, I would be retired. Can I afford to retire? Never. How does that help?”

Others found it helpful. Ann_marie52353 wrote: “So, contrary to popular opinion in the comments, I think it's brilliant.”

According to Russell Searight, a psychologist at Lake Superior State University, psychologists have been using this approach since at least 1998.

It comes from psychologists who practice solution-focused therapy, a technique developed in the 1980s that encourages patients to focus on the difficulties of their daily lives rather than analyzing the past.

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According to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, it is particularly helpful in helping people overcome depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.

The miracle question is best applied to people who are goal-oriented and driven by future prospects, Kristen Gingrich, a licensed clinical social worker from Maine, shared in her own TikTok.

In the original version of the question, psychologists asked patients to imagine that a “miracle” had happened overnight and that they woke up happy.

Hence the term “miracle question”.

According to Professor Searight, asking this question can lead to a more likely relationship between patient and doctor, which can help the patient feel more comfortable and benefit more from therapy.

This helps the therapist to better understand what the client wants from therapy, said Ms. Gingrich. In this way, the therapist can better accompany the client on his or her path to his or her ideal life.

She uses it when a client feels like they are stuck. It can help them overcome development plateaus. “Instead of focusing on everything that went wrong, they can focus on the things and progress they could make.”

However, not everyone benefits from the miracle question, says psychotherapist Dan Lawson. Sometimes therapists need to adjust the wording of the question to make it more applicable to their individual situation.

“If it doesn’t apply to them personally, it may not work,” Dr. Lawson said.

He added: “So don’t blame your client, listen to them and don’t let your past mess up your future.”