Clinical Training

Single-Session Solutions offers training to mental health providers in community clinics and university counseling centers. One- and two-day training formats are available either in person or virtually.

These workshops offer a unique model for providing extremely brief psychological services in a mental health clinic that takes advantage of clients’ readiness for change and increases accessibility to mental health services. Researchers have suggested that psychotherapy can be most effective if begun at the point that clients are most motivated to change; however, many current models of service delivery unintentionally place barriers between clients and therapists. SSS offers a unique model for providing services that takes advantage of clients’ readiness for change and increases accessibility to mental health services.

Other researchers have found that 1) the modal number of service contacts is 1, followed by 2 and 3 irrespective of diagnosis or severity of problem; 2) the majority (75%) of those who attend only 1 session report the single session was adequate; and 3) it seems impossible to predict who will attend only one session and who will attend more. We present a model that addresses these common research findings.

Training

This workshop will introduce therapists to single-session therapy (SST) using lecture, discussion, role play and video examples of the principles for conducting effective one-at-a-time sessions.

Participants will learn a mindset that supports SST work, the application of SST principles, and setting appropriate goals with clients. Planned single-session therapy was first described over 20 years ago by Talmon, Hoyt and Rosenbaum. This workshop will introduce the principles of SST that address the three research findings cited above. Moreover, because researchers have found that most therapeutic change occurs in the first 6-8 sessions, we will show how to maximize the impact of the first, and perhaps only, session a client is likely to attend.

One goal of SST is to provide clients with a helpful experience so that they will be more likely to return for further visits if they are needed. SST is not designed to be the only therapeutic encounter for clients, it is designed to be a helpful therapeutic encounter that gets clients moving in a positive direction - taking a first step in that direction. For those who would benefit from additional sessions, SST may provide an encouraging experience with university counseling services and increase the likelihood they will return in the future.