ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the vital role that expectations play in Single-Session Therapy. It considers clients’ expectations, particularly concerning the time therapy should take, but also about what can be achieved from a single session. The chapter also discusses the expectations held by therapists and how they can shape and be shaped by clients’ expectations. It also considers clients’ duration expectations and outcome expectations. The therapist helping the client to set realistic goals is usually a meaningful part of this process. Thus, if clients expect therapy to last a specified period, then this would determine the duration of therapy. Additionally, if the client thinks that they can gain from the single session, then their behaviour will also have a galvanising impact on the therapist who will then work harder to help the client achieve their goal. There is a vast literature on the impact of therapist expectations in psychotherapy.
