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Abstract
Background
A significant increase in the number of walk-in counselling clinics offering single-session therapy (SST) prompted this review of the empirical support for the effectiveness of SST.
Aims
The article is intended to (1) increase practitioners' knowledge of the empirical support for the effectiveness of single-session counselling with client populations typically served in community-based mental health and counselling agencies and (2) identify priorities for future research on SST.
Method
A thorough review of relevant databases was undertaken to locate published studies reporting client outcomes following SST. The focus of the review is research involving clients and presenting problems typically seen in community-based mental health and family counselling agencies.
Results
The findings suggest that the majority of clients attending either previously scheduled or walk-in SST find it sufficient and helpful. The studies imply that this model of service delivery leads to perceived improvement in presenting problems in general, and on specific measures of variables such as depression, anxiety, distress level and confidence in parenting skills.
Conclusions
Many of the studies have methodological limitations, and future research requires increased use of standardized measures, control groups and larger and more diverse samples.
Notes
1. We use the terms therapy and counselling interchangeably.
2. The asterisk truncation was used to allow for multiple results (e.g. therapy, therapies, therapeutic)
3. Readers interested in a more detailed version of this table may contact the corresponding author at pbhymmen@ primus.ca
4. Harper-Jaques et al. (Citation2008) report that one of the walk-in services asks clients to rate their mood, risk and sense of hope prior to the SST, but data on risk levels are not reported.