ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the importance of helping practitioners' client, if possible, to identify and work with a central mechanism that explains the existence of their problem. It considers the assumption made in single-session integrated cognitive behaviour therapy (SSI-CBT) that the client’s initial reaction to an adversity is not as important as how they respond to that reaction. Given the emphasis in SSI-CBT on cognitive and behavioural factors, this central mechanism is likely to be cognitive and have behavioural referents in that it explains why the client acts in the way they do when they are in ‘problem’ mode. There also needs to be some plausible alternative in cognitive meaning for the client. Sarah was a student and was procrastinating on several university projects and sought SSI-CBT for the issue. As she put it, her goal was to overcome her procrastination and get down working because doing so would help her get good grades and a good degree.
