Despite the fact that psychotherapy is becoming more popular in our country, what happens in a psychologist’s office is still shrouded in a fog of mystery and magic. If I were asked to name in one word what we do most of the time with a client in the office , I would answer - we are exploring. And the main research tool is the question “how are you?” - And do you take money for this? - you ask. Not only for this, of course, but yes. This seemingly simple question contains many therapeutic functions. First, it helps to collect anamnesis: such a question encourages us to share what is bothering us. Secondly, this question is a form of support - it's nice to know that someone is interested in your well-being, isn't it? Thirdly, its most important function, in my opinion, is developing the client’s skill of self-exploration. Have you ever felt bad and you don’t understand why? Something incomprehensible is happening: breakdowns on loved ones and others, unmotivated tears, fatigue - a lot of different symptoms that each of us found in ourselves. This doesn’t mean you need to see a specialist for everything (sometimes sleep and food are enough), but stop and ask yourself “how am I?” can be very useful. I call it turning towards yourself. When doing it in the office, we pay attention to our condition, see where it “hurts,” and, having this information in hand, we can decide where to move next. Later, the habit of making this turn is transferred into everyday life, and it becomes easier for us to understand how to do it better. I'm bored at this party - I want to leave. I enjoy communicating with my friend - I want to call him more often. I don’t like this salad in a restaurant - I don’t want to finish it, and so on. Of course, there are many forms of this question: “how are you?”, “What’s wrong with you?”, the sacramental “how are you feeling now?”, thousands of them. They are all about the same thing - about paying attention to yourself. By developing the skill of self-exploration, we become sensitive to our needs, learn to recognize our emotions, and show interest in ourselves. This habit helps us improve our lives, because by understanding ourselves, we open the way to change..