ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author considers several main theoretical single-session therapy (SST) principles and discusses how they lead to guidelines for good SST practice. One of the critical theoretical assumptions of SST is what may be called ‘the flexible power of the one’. The therapist utilising all the time that they have with the client is a central part of SST. The therapist needs to take an active role but one that also encourages the client to be active. Active collaboration is a feature of effective SST. In one sense, all SST is solution focused in the sense that the therapist strives with the client to find a solution that will deal with the problem and help goal attainment. One of the ironies of SST is that while there is much potential power to harness from the first session, the session is not all important in the change process.
