Single Session / One At A Time Therapy

"Thank you...It has really helped me to frame some things a little differently and given me some things to work on." SST Client

Ongoing, regular counselling relationship is transformative for most people. Unfortunately, this is not always available and it is also amazing how helpful a single session can be. That's why I reserve a few session slots per week for in-person or online Single Session Therapy clients. For many people Single Session Therapy is not a replacement for a supportive professional counselling relationship however, it can certainly be better than nothing, and for some people with a clear reason for therapy, it can be all that is needed to make a transformative difference.

You might be reading this after making a counselling enquiry or have landed on it in search of a therapist who offers this model of counselling support. This blog aims to explain Single Session Therapy and help people decide if this is something they would like to try.

What is Single Session Therapy?

Single Session Therapy (SST), also known as One At A Time (OAAT) therapy, describes an approach to counselling based on the mindset that not everyone needs regular counselling sessions, and that help can be achieved in a single session. It does not mean that people cannot have more than one session of therapy, but, that there is an understanding that the client will attend the session with a commitment to implement the outcome of the session before booking another session. Each session is approached with the same self-contained therapeutic approach and so, by comparison to ongoing counselling, it is not accompanying a person through life or life transition. I prefer to think of it as providing a space to reassess and move on from rather than one that one to ground in and reorientate from regularly.

The 5 client commitments:

Following each SST/OAAT therapy session you will take the following five actions:

1. Reflect - Think about what emerged from the session. What new insights, motivations, reactions, strengths and support were identified?

2. Digest - What options have become available? What might be done differently? Which of these options are achievable?

3. Act - Take forward the steps identified in the session.

4. Allow time - depending on the issue it could be a long period of time but a minimum of 3 weeks to a month is generally wise. It helps to set a reminder in your phone or calendar to set a time period that sensibly gives you time to see change.

5. Decide - Is another appointment needed? This is the only step that does not overlap with the former 4. After allowing time you may want to set a new duration to repeat the former 3 stages (allowing more time) or you may decide to book another session.

Single Session Therapy - pros and cons

Pros/benefits:

• Help at the point of need

• Particularly useful for people feeling 'stuck'

• One session may be all that's needed

• Focused - both in terms of problem/goal and solutions.

• Strengths and resilience-based

• A space to explore viable options in a concrete and committed way

Cons/limitations:

• Less depth in the relationship between the client and the counsellor

• Unlikely to be as helpful for certain emotional processes such as grief, trauma, shame, self-identity or relationship challenges

• Forfeits a sense of consistent, safe anchoring while facing life's challenges

• Limited change and healing over time

• Not a replacement for an ongoing counselling relationship

Working on the issue together - the mindset required for SST

SST/OAAT works best when we (client and therapist) approach the session with the same mindset. We focus on the 'here and now' and come with a strong intention to identify a goal and an outcome we want to get to by the end of the session. Even if there are a few things that are driving you to seek counselling, we will hear these out and then decide the focus and identify an end-of-session goal.

I will ask for your permission to interrupt if it seems that we are losing focus or muddying the water that we clarified at the beginning of the session. I will help you find alternative perspectives, drawing focus to your strengths while you actively engage in the session by bringing your feelings, thoughts and experiences and an open mind to discovering new solutions.

We will explore any doubts and reticences together and rehearse scenarios to give you an experiential sense of how your new solutions may play out and the confidence to begin putting them into practice from the moment you leave the session. We are both invested in real change as if this is the one and only session you will have. Many people suggest this is a very healthy way for therapist and client to approach any therapy session whether that be in ongoing therapy or One At A Time sessions, but it is particularly appropriate to imagine this is the one and only session and that you will be leaving with fresh insight, motivation and hope for how you navigate this problem in your life.

My experience and the theoretical basis of Single Session Therapy:

SST and OAAT therapy has 'old roots' in the history of psychotherapy as studies suggest that many clients who 'dropped out' of 'treatment' early did so due to significant improvement that they experienced after just one session (SingleSessionTherapies.com). However, it has been developed and advocated as a distinct form of therapy since the early 90s and it has become popular in recent years as the primary method of therapy offered in many University and College settings.

My training in SST/OAAT was delivered by Prof Windy Dryden, a prominent advocate for the method and a Psychotherapist who worked with Dr. Albert Ellis and is informed by the work of Carl Rogers. As such his approach, for those of you with some familiarity with the various 'models' of counselling and psychotherapy, blends a 'client-centred' and 'Cognitive Behavioural Therapy' approaches. More specifically it embodies an approach developed initially by Ellis in the 60s and 70s which later became known as Rational Emotional Behavioural Therapy.

The REBT basis means that the client can expect an emphasis on techniques that support change through the following approaches;

• Strengths-based

• Solution-focused

• Cognitive reframing

• Building mental flexibility

• Alternative perspectives

Helpful resources if you're considering SST/OAAT therapy:

• Watch this 3-minute video

• Read this blog published by the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) - The governing body to which I am registered and accountable

• Read more on the history of SST here

Would you like to try Single Session Therapy?

You can directly book a Single Session Therapy session (£50.00 per hour) via my website. I offer these on Mondays, Tuesdays and occasional weekends.

If you'd like to explore whether SST/OAAT therapy is right for you and/or to help you prepare for the session itself, I recommend booking a 30-minute Initial Call (£15.00).