The Formula First-Session Task and Between-Session Noticing

Assign between-session observation tasks that direct attention toward what’s already working.

Why it works

Behavioral change requires attention retraining as well as new behavior. Most clients enter therapy with attention firmly fixed on the problem — noticing every failure, every setback, every exception that disproves improvement. Observation tasks ("notice what you want to continue") redirect the attentional filter toward positive instances, which are then reported in the next session and amplified. The act of observing changes what is observed: awareness of functioning moments makes them more salient and more repeatable.

How to do it

1. At the end of a first session, assign the formula task: "Between now and next time, notice what’s happening in your life that you want to continue."
2. Make the task observation-only, not behavioral change — this removes the performance pressure.
3. In subsequent sessions, design tasks that are one small step beyond the exception they described.
4. Make tasks specific, small, and easy enough that success is virtually certain.
5. Begin next session by asking what they noticed, and amplify everything that moved in the right direction.

Evidence

The formula first-session task (FFST) has been tested in SFBT research, with studies showing it increases positive self-observation and is associated with better outcomes in early sessions. The attentional-retraining mechanism is consistent with psychological research on attentional bias. (observational)

The FFST has some direct research support within SFBT; the broader attentional mechanism is theoretically consistent but not isolated experimentally.

Sources

• de Shazer (1985), "Keys to Solution in Brief Therapy" — clinical basis for the formula first-session task

Common mistake

Assigning tasks that require behavioral change before the client has identified sufficient confidence — observation tasks must come before action tasks, or the first failure discourages.