Rhetorical, Closed-Ended, and Open-Ended Questions: Do You Feel All Right?
When practicing Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I often make use of rhetoric (the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion). For instance, I ask a lot of questions (an interrogative expression often used to test knowledge).
Noteworthy, one source states, “A rhetorical question is a rhetorical device where a question is asked for a purpose other than to obtain information. In many cases it may be intended to start a discourse, as a means of displaying or emphasizing the speaker’s or author’s opinion on a topic.”
An example of a rhetorical question that I may ask of a client, although the answer is presumably obvious, is something along the lines of, “By not completing negotiated homework tasks, do you want to keep ending up in the same place as you were at our last session?”
In this regard, I make use of what the American Psychological Association defines of a rhetorical-question message, “a persuasive communication that includes rhetorical questions as a means of encouraging careful scrutiny of the message.”
For instance, the uncommunicated message of a client who neglects the completion of homework exercises may be that the individual merely want to feel better during our sessions, though the client may not want to actually get better by doing the work necessary for REBT success.
Therefore, rhetorical questions may be used as a method of persuading the client to think for oneself, instead of using a closed-ended question (any question for which a person provides other people with options from which to choose a response; e.g., Do you want to live, yes or no?).
With the closed-ended question, an anticipated response may already be implied (expressed indirectly). As an example, when listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Nici Nice, I heard her spin the song “Move with the Lights” (2025) by Weska.
The lyrics ask, “Do you feel all right?” This form of closed-ended question implies a “yes” or “no” response as to whether or not the questioned person maintains a satisfactory, agreeable, or pleasing emotional or sensory state of being (e.g., joy with lightness throughout the body).
Regarding my personal and professional practice of REBT, I instead prefer use of open-ended questions (questions which cannot be answered with a “yes” or “no” response, or with a static response, as open-ended questions are phrased as a statement which requires a longer answer).
For instance, if I want to know how a client is feeling, I may ask, “How are you feeling?” In this way, I’m not implying that either a “yes” or “no” answer is expected (e.g., Do you feel okay?). Now, I invite you to consider the rhetoric that you use.
Are you implying a set of answers when inquiring about the well-being of others (e.g., Are you good or bad?)? Could it be that you’ve unintentionally inserted an expected answer within your question (e.g., Do you feel all right?—with all right inferring your preferred response)?
As both of the questions I’ve just asked are closed-ended questions, do you think that maybe you’ll instead want to use more open-ended questions? Here, I’ve just used a form of rhetorical question. Now, what do you think about rhetorical, closed-ended, and open-ended questions?
If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As the world’s foremost EDM-influenced REBT psychotherapist—promoting content related to EDM, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.
At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018, April 19). Persuasion. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/persuasion
APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018, April 19). Rhetorical-question message. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/rhetorical-question-message
Apple Music. (n.d.). Weska. Apple Inc. Retrieved from https://music.apple.com/us/artist/weska/712898639
Hollings, D. (2022, March 15). Disclaimer. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/disclaimer
Hollings, D. (2024, February 25). Doing the work. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/doing-the-work
Hollings, D. (2026, March 17). Facts and inferences. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/facts-and-inferences
Hollings, D. (2023, September 8). Fair use. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/fair-use
Hollings, D. (2024, May 17). Feeling better vs. getting better. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/feeling-better-vs-getting-better-1
Hollings, D. (2023, October 12). Get better. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/get-better
Hollings, D. (n.d.). Hollings Therapy, LLC [Official website]. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/
Hollings, D. (2026, June 23). Homework: It’s done at home. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/homework-it-s-done-at-home
Hollings, D. (2022, November 8). Information overload. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/information-overload
Hollings, D. (2026, July 6). It’s not an opinion, it’s a fact: Am I taking crazy pills? Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/it-s-not-an-opinion-it-s-a-fact-am-i-taking-crazy-pills
Hollings, D. (2025, October 13). Knowledge, wisdom, understanding. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/knowledge-wisdom-understanding
Hollings, D. (2023, September 19). Life coaching. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/life-coaching
Hollings, D. (2026, May 17). Listening to reason through argument: Is the rhetoric of whataboutism persuasive? Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/listening-to-reason-through-argument-is-the-rhetoric-of-whataboutism-persuasive
Hollings, D. (2023, September 3). On feelings. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-feelings
Hollings, D. (2024, May 17). Open, honest, and vulnerable communication. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/open-honest-and-vulnerable-communication
Hollings, D. (2024, May 5). Psychotherapist. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/psychotherapist
Hollings, D. (2023, March 25). Question everything. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/question-everything
Hollings, D. (2022, March 24). Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-emotive-behavior-therapy-rebt
Hollings, D. (2024, March 14). REBT and emotions. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rebt-and-emotions
Hollings, D. (2024, April 21). Sensation. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/sensation
Hollings, D. (2026, February 25). Stoic joy. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/stoic-joy
Hollings, D. (2026, February 21). The preferences versus expectations paradigm: Love is not enough, though virtue is. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-preferences-versus-expectations-paradigm-love-is-not-enough-though-virtue-is
Hollings, D. (2025, February 28). To try is my goal. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/to-try-is-my-goal
Hollings, D. (2024, September 29). Well, well, well. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/well-well-well
Nici Nice. (2026, July 2). Nici Nice - Melodic techno sunrise I Tunisia 2026 DJ set I Podcast radio 006 [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/nP0ZDwU7nEE?si=5Rfe2wImK0wce4Op
Resident Advisor Ltd. (n.d.). Nici Nice. Retrieved from https://ra.co/dj/nicinice
Weska. (2025, September 18). Move with the Lights [Image; video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/44dLrZBzwq4?si=lUiaTdqqjcQUc0gi
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Closed-ended question. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed-ended_question
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Literary device. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literary_device
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Open-ended question. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-ended_question
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Rhetorical question. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhetorical_question
