ABSTRACT
Change is in the winds in Ontario. The development of walk-in clinics in Ontario came about as a response to challenges and dilemmas in mental-health service delivery. There are at least 40 walk-in counseling clinics operating in Ontario, more than in any other province or likely country. This chapter provides the circumstances that made the unique growth of walk-in counseling clinics possible: the backstories and history that it stands on, the inspirations and pivotal events, and the impact of brief narrative practices on the therapeutic approach at many of the clinics. Narrative therapy was first developed by Michael White and David Epston. It is a collaborative, non-pathologizing, and competency-focused approach to therapy. The evaluation team spanned multiple organizations, multiple ways to deliver brief single-session services, and a range of therapeutic approaches for Single-Session Therapy with an over-arching influence from brief narrative practices.
