ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author considers the issue of helping a person decide whether or not single-session therapy (SST) will be helpful to them. He uses a help-seeking framework that outlines the roles that a person may occupy when contacting a therapist or therapy service. When a person approaches a therapist or a therapy service, they occupy one of three help-seeking roles. It is useful for the SST therapist and the person who takes such calls in a therapy agency to consider which role a person may occupy when deciding whether or not a person may benefit from SST. There are a number of roles that a person may occupy with respect to help-seeking. When a person is in the ‘applicant’ role, they have decided that they want to seek help from a particular therapist and agency and can thus be seen to have applied for such help.
