ABSTRACT
When I developed a cognitive-behavioural approach to single-session therapy, I did so mainly to crystallize my own way of working that I had developed from the experiences I outlined in the introduction. However, I also wanted to outline a framework that other CBT therapists could use who wanted to do single-session therapy in their own way. In this book I will discuss the general framework while illustrating the points with my own particular approach. When I discuss the general framework I will refer to it as SSI-CBT and when I discuss my specific approach I will refer to it as SSI-CBT (WD). My main goal is to focus on SSI-CBT, but many of the examples are taken from SSI-CBT (WD)
While CBT therapists who wish to use a single-session approach will no doubt develop their own format, at the moment I conceptualize SSI-CBT as having four points of contact between you 1 and your client: (1) the first contact when the person seeking help makes contact with you, the therapist, offering help; (2) if it is reasonably clear that SSI-CBT may be the appropriate intervention what follows is a more extended pre-session contact (usually by phone), the purpose of which is to formalize this decision and to help you both get the most out of (3) the single face-to-face session and approximately three months later (4) a follow-up session takes place. At any point, it may be clear that the person may need more therapy, in which case you may offer this and when you do, the work is no longer considered to be single-session therapy. It is important to remember at all times that client welfare is more important than therapist allegiance to single-session work.
