ABSTRACT
This chapter examines an application of Single Session Therapy (SST) to counseling people newly diagnosed with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in an Australian community-based, government-funded health agency. The inclusion of SST into the counseling service represented a significant addition to the delivery options available to clients and occurred in the context of people living with HIV (PLHIV) having ready access to the new antiretroviral therapies (ART) since the turn of the century. Early uptake of and daily adherence to these medications have now changed a new HIV diagnosis from a death sentence into a chronic, but manageable condition similar to diabetes for many PLHIV. The author emphasizes the importance of counselors having both SST skills and knowledge about HIV.
