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The Single-Session Therapy Mindset: What to Keep in Mind and Implications for Practice

Author(s) : Windy Dryden

Table of Contents

1. Keep in mind that your client may or may not know what SST is  
2. Keep in mind that you may see the client for one or more sessions. Be open to both possibilities  
3. Keep in mind that one session may be sufficient for the client  
4. Keep in mind that you need to use time wisely in SST 
5. Keep in mind that it is useful to invite your client to prepare for the session 
6. Keep in mind the importance of focusing on now and that change is possible now  
7. Keep in mind that you and your client should both be active in the session and collaborate with one another  
8. Keep in mind that it is possible to conduct a session without prior knowledge of the person. However, also keep in mind that your client may feel that, without you knowing certain things about them, you will not be able to help them.  
9. Keep in mind that not knowing is a key part of SST 
10. Keep in mind what you fail to keep in mind in SST 
11. Keep in mind that you should start therapy from the first moment, if possible 
12. Keep in mind that the session is complete in itself. It is not necessarily the prelude to anything  
13. Keep in mind that potentially, anyone can be helped in a single session. But also keep in mind that this does not mean that everybody will be helped 
14. Keep in mind that the client in front of you is a unique person, and not representative of a disorder 
15. Keep in mind that the client-therapist relationship can be established rapidly 
16. Keep in mind that it is critical that you are transparent with your client 
17. Keep in mind that the client is the expert in their own life. Thus, single-session therapy should be client-led 
18. Keep in mind that people are constantly changing  
19. Keep in mind that the client decides how much therapy they want 
20. Keep in mind that different clients will seek different forms of help from the session 
21. Keep in mind that you have plenty of time to do the work 
22. Keep in mind not to overload the client 
23. Keep in mind to keep your ego out of the way 
24. Keep in mind the importance of negotiating an end-of-session goal with the client 
25. Keep in mind the importance of co-creating a therapeutic focus and maintaining it once it has been created 
26. Keep in mind that, unless the client’s preference is to the contrary, a single-session therapy session requires a structure. It has a beginning, a middle and an end 
27. Keep in mind that a complex problem does not necessarily require a complex solution 
28. Keep in mind that your client has probably attempted to solve their problem before. Look for what has worked, even a little 
29. Keep in mind that the client has strengths, even though they may be hidden from view 
30. Keep in mind that the client probably has access to a range of potentially helpful external resources 
31. Keep in mind that if you expect change, it often happens.  
32. Keep in mind to focus first on what the client brings to the table 
33. Keep in mind the importance of offering the client the opportunity to hear what you can bring to the table if what is already on the table is insufficient to effect change 
34. Keep in mind to check to see if your client is discussing what they want to discuss 
35. Keep in mind that you will probably need to use different methods with different clients  
36. Keep in mind that it is important to remain hopeful and trust the client  
37. Keep in mind that if your client is seeking help for a problem, you will probably both need to be solution-focused 
38. Keep in mind the value of rehearsing a solution   
39. Keep in mind the value of action planning 
40. Keep in mind that all you may need to do is to get the client moving, and that small may be beautiful  
41. Keep in mind that change occurs in different forms  
42. Keep in mind the usefulness of asking your client to summarise the session as you reach the end of the session 
43. Keep in mind the helpfulness of encouraging your client to specify their takeaway(s) from the session 
44. Keep in mind the value of encouraging your client to generalize their learning, if possible 
45. Keep in mind that the benefits that your client derives from the session will be mainly achieved outside the session 
46. Keep in mind that the best time for your client to judge if they need more help is when they have had an opportunity to reflect on what they learned from the session, to digest this learning, to implement what they learned and to let time pass a little 
47. Keep in mind the importance of ending the session well so that the client leaves the session with their morale restored  
48. Keep in mind the value of taking nothing for granted in SST 
49. Keep in mind that it is OK if the client chooses to seek further help and it is OK if they don’t 
50. Keep in mind that every session provides you with the opportunity to develop as a single-session therapist