This formula is effective for establishing a positive frame right at the beginning of a session. This is one of the very first things I’d tell a new client right after listening to their story about the presenting problem that led them to therapy: “First of all, I would like to thank you for making my job a whole lot easier. The fact that you’re sitting here, and just told me exactly what you want to happen within the next few sessions, means you are already half way towards getting X (the desired outcome). You’ve done 50% of my work, basically. Some people come in here looking for permission to continue feeling sorry for themselves, and I have to work very hard to break their resistance to therapy. You came in here already half baked! (Smile) You are ready to make changes in your life and improve, and that’s good news for me too. I’ll tell you what-if you continue with this mindset, and I see within 8 to 10 sessions that you are making serious progress, because with this attitude, there is no alternative, you’re getting X. How about that? I will refund you 10% of the fees you paid. It’s only fair, right? You’re making my job easier, I want you to get better faster and earn something more…”

Beyond the abundance of embedded commands and positive future pacing, what we do is link the client’s choice to come in as if it was the most important decision they’ve made, which guarantees the successful outcome of their therapeutic intervention. By adding the promise to reduce fees in exchange for them “keeping” the effective mindset, the client’s mind is now asked to start organizing resources to prove the self-fulfilling prophecy within the future pace.

The formula is: “The fact that (current reality observation)” → “means that (positive frame)” → timeframe → future pace.