The central tool of SFBT. The client describes the desired future in detailed, concrete, observable, behavioral terms. Not an abstract goal ("I want to be happy"), but a vivid picture of the next day ("I will wake up, make coffee, talk to my daughter about her day.").
Step-by-step guide
- Begin with preparation: "I want to ask you an unusual, perhaps even fantastical question"
- Ask the main question (see verbatim phrase)
- Allow time to think (a pause of 30–60 seconds)
- Listen carefully to the first answer
- Develop: "What else will be different?"
- Repeat "What else?" 5–7 times in a row
- Move to others: "What will the people close to you notice?"
- Develop the consequences: "How will it affect the rest of the day? The week?"
- Build the full picture — this becomes the target state
When to use
- After the description of the problem, at the start of the work on the solution
- The client is immersed in the problem and sees no way out
- There is a need to move from "problem talk" to "solution talk"
- The client does not believe change is possible
- A concrete goal for the session is needed
- The client cannot put themselves on a scale (perception is too abstract)
Key phrases
Now I want to ask you an unusual question. Suppose that tonight, while you are asleep and the whole house is quiet, a miracle happens. The miracle is that the problem that brought you here has been solved. But you were asleep, so you do not know that the miracle has happened. When you wake up tomorrow morning — what will be different? What will tell you that the miracle has happened and the problem is solved?
Follow-up questions
What else will be different?
What will the people around you notice? How will they understand?
How will your [husband/wife/child/colleague] react?
What will you do differently on this day?
How will it affect the rest of your day? The week?
How will this day differ from a usual one?
Alternative phrasings
If the problem disappeared — what would be different? What would your day look like?
Tomorrow morning, when the problem is solved, what will [the father/the colleague/the daughter] notice first?
Imagine — a week has gone by, you remember our meeting and think: the miracle has happened! What did you notice in yourself?
Warnings
- ⚠️ Do not skip the question if the client says "I don't know" — that is normal, develop the answer
- ⚠️ If the client describes only emotions ("I will feel better"), translate into actions: "What will you be doing when you feel better?"
- ⚠️ If they describe the impossible ("Bring back the deceased"), acknowledge the pain and reframe: "What might a life look like in which you are coping with this loss?"
- ⚠️ Do not finish the client's thought — every "What else?" must be their discovery
- ⚠️ When the client is silent — that is not a problem. Be silent with them. Count to 10 in your head. The most valuable things surface in the silence.
- ⚠️ Short answers ("I'll feel better") are not a stop. Continue with another 5–7 "What else?" in a row.
- ⚠️ An impossible future — do not argue. Acknowledge that it is hard, then: "What part of this is possible?"
Source: de Shazer (1984), the central tool of BFTC
Materials are informational and educational and summarize publicly available scientific sources. They are not medical or psychological advice, are not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, and do not replace consultation with a qualified professional.