When a couple decides to seek help from a psychotherapist, they are not necessarily looking for a long, structured therapeutic process. Sometimes partners need to discuss a specific issue; at other times, they may be going through a crisis and feel the need to gain clarity. In some cases, one partner may have been persuaded to attend against their will, while in others, both partners simply want to understand whether couples therapy might be right for them.
It is in this context that Single-Session Therapy (SST) can offer an interesting opportunity for working with couples.
But how can a relationship be addressed in just one session?
As we will explore in this article, a single session can often help couples unlock their existing resources or clarify their intentions regarding the future of their relationship.
From Planning a Therapeutic Process to Recognising the Value of a Single Session
Couples therapy is often perceived as a process that necessarily requires numerous sessions, during which the history of the relationship is reconstructed, conflicts are analysed, and dysfunctional dynamics are gradually addressed. This kind of therapeutic process may be necessary in many situations, but it is not the only option.
SST invites us to start with a different question: What could make today’s session useful?
This question shifts the focus from planning an ongoing therapeutic process to recognising the value of each individual session. The goal is not to address every problem in the relationship, but rather to identify what matters most to the partners and help them achieve a concrete change.
It is within this perspective that the One-at-a-Time (OAAT) model, developed by Martin Söderquist and colleagues (2018; 2023), is situated. The expression “one session at a time” emphasises that each meeting is considered a complete unit of therapeutic work, leaving the couple free to decide whether and when to schedule another appointment.
It is therefore not a rigid therapeutic protocol, but rather a way of organising the service and conceptualising clinical work. The experience of the Swedish team has made it possible to identify the aspects of the OAAT approach that commonly emerge when working with couples.
The First Questions Can Change the Direction of the Session
In his 2025 article, Beginnings: Invitations and Responses in Single Session One-at-a-Time, Söderquist pays particular attention to the first few minutes of a therapeutic encounter. His contribution highlights an important point: what matters is not only the question the therapist asks, but also how they listen to and make use of the response they receive.
An apparently simple question can open up unexpected possibilities or, alternatively, create distance between the therapist and the partners. For this reason, questions should not be used as standardised formulas, regardless of the context.
One aspect the author emphasises in his article is the importance of establishing the context for the single session from the very beginning, a process he calls Context Marking:
“Today is your session: we will do our best to make this time directly useful to you.”
Rather than focusing on establishing a relational diagnosis, the priority becomes engaging the couple through invitations and initial questions that focus on their resources and goals.
To reconnect with their strengths and positive shared history:
- “What made you fall in love with each other in the beginning?”
- “What are you really good at as a couple, despite the difficulties you are experiencing at the moment?”
To establish the direction of the session:
- “What are your best hopes for this meeting?”
- “What would you like to take away with you at the end of this hour to feel that it was worth coming here?”
- “What would you like me to focus my attention on as we talk, so that I can offer you useful reflections and ideas at the end of the session?”
Of course, partners do not always share the same goal. This difference is also informative: rather than immediately trying to force an agreement, the therapist can help each partner clarify what they want and what they consider important.
What If the Partners Want Different Things?
From this perspective, defining the goal is a crucial moment, as it is often when discrepancies between partners first emerge. They may come to therapy with different goals, sometimes even incompatible ones. In response to a question such as, “What brought you here today?”, one partner might say, “I want to understand how we can improve our relationship”, while the other might respond, “I want to understand whether it is time for us to separate.”
Diverging goals are among the most delicate situations when working with couples. It is not always possible to establish a shared goal immediately. In fact, in my experience, exploring therapeutic goals is often precisely what brings different positions and perspectives to the surface. In these situations, the therapist’s work can begin with simply acknowledging and recognising the difference.
In this respect, SST provides an appropriate space for bringing these discrepancies to light and discussing possible scenarios for the couple.
In my work with couples, I have noticed that the goal-setting stage is often decisive in determining whether the conditions for moving forward are actually present. On some occasions, I have found myself dedicating considerably more time to this phase, thereby creating space for the partners to negotiate possible solutions.
From Difficulties to the Couple’s Resources
When a couple becomes stuck in a repetitive dynamic, it is easy for the problem to take up all the available space. The conversation revolves around what is not working, who is right, and how each partner should behave differently. The therapist may almost be expected to act as a “judge” between the two parties.
When working with couples, it is easy to become drawn into their conflictual dynamics and implicitly find oneself in the position of having to determine who is right or who should change first.
In this respect, the therapist’s attitude is essential to avoid falling into harmful triangulations or becoming a passive listener to the conflict. The therapist needs to maintain a particular ability to focus, listen, and formulate questions effectively. To make the most of the time available in a session, it is therefore important not to become trapped in these dynamics, but instead to redirect the conversation towards identifying exceptions and the couple’s resources.
The therapist thus invites the partners to explore another perspective: what resources are already present in the relationship, even if they may be difficult to recognise at this particular moment?
For example, the therapist might ask: “Are there moments when you manage to talk to each other differently?”, “What happens when an argument does not escalate?” or “How have you managed to overcome a similar difficulty in the past?”
This is the work of exploring exceptions: identifying those moments when the problem occurs with less intensity, or does not occur at all, in order to understand what makes these moments possible.
In the Italian approach to SST, this exploration is combined with the search for a concrete and specific change, built upon the partners’ existing abilities and experiences (Cannistrà and Piccirilli, 2018).
The aim is not to minimise difficulties or to look for something positive at all costs. Rather, it is about identifying what the couple already knows how to do and what they could intentionally draw upon again.
Söderquist’s contribution reminds us that every session can be approached as a meaningful opportunity, without automatically assuming that it must be followed by a lengthy therapeutic process. In this way, the SST perspective integrates a focus on resources, exceptions, and the changes that are possible in the present.
Consuelo Del Grande
Psychologist, specialised in
Brief Systemic-Strategic Therapies
at the ICNOS Institute
References
Cannistrà , F., & Piccirilli, F. (2018). Terapia a seduta singola. Principi e Pratiche. Firenze: Giunti Psychometrics.
Soderquist, M. (2018). Coincidence favors the prepared mind: Single sessions with couples in Sweden. In M. F. Hoyt, A. Slive, M. Bobele, J. Young, & M. Talmon (Eds.), Singlesession therapy by walk-in or appointment: Administrative, clinical, and supervisory aspects of one-at-a-time services (pp. 270–290). Routledge.
Söderquist, M. (2025). Invitations, Embedded Hopes, and Creative Collaboration in Sweden. In Cannistrà , F. & Hoyt, M. (Eds.) Single Session Therapies: Why and How One-at-a-Time Mindsets Are Effective. Routledge
Söderquist, M. (2025). Beginnings: Invitations and responses in single session one-at-a-time. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 44(2), 19–35. https://doi.org/10.1521/jsyt.2025.44.2.19
Soderquist, M., Cronholm-Nouicer, M., Dannerup, L., & Wulff, K. (2021). Making the leap with couples in Sweden: One-at-a-time mindset in action. In M. F. Hoyt, J. Young, J., & P. Rycroft (Eds.), Single session thinking and practice in global, cultural and familial contexts: Expanding applications (pp. 163-172). Routledge.