The goal of today’s article is to explore some ways to provide more accessible and effective mental health services.
In this regard, the article will highlight the experience of two projects created and implemented by Jessica Schleider, an American researcher who has produced most of the research on Single Session Therapy for adolescents or adults who care for children or pre-adolescents.
What did her research reveal?
Research conducted by J. Schleider in the U.S. has shown that costs, long waiting lists, and stigma are still the main barriers to accessing traditional mental health care.
Based on these findings, she wrote a new book Little Treatments, Big Effects: How to Build Meaningful Moments that Can Transform Your Mental Health (2024), which integrates concepts from advanced psychological science, narratives of lived experiences, and practical self-help activities to present a new way of doing single-session therapy.
How does Dr. Schleider define single-session interventions? Schleider defines Single Session Therapy interventions as structured and specific programs that intentionally involve using a single consultation or one meeting at a clinic or within a treatment program, which may include digital and self-managed activities.
The idea behind these single-session interventions is to provide quick responses to urgent or first-aid mental health requests, offering individuals the opportunity to get back on track quickly.
But what does Schleider mean by quick responses to emergency requests through the Single Session Therapy programs she created?
With her Single Session Therapy services, the researcher does not aim to provide crisis care based on emotional escalation reduction or physical safety but instead helps people address various issues, from relationship distress to bad moods and school or work anxiety, by identifying the necessary step to move toward the desired solution, regardless of the emotional starting point.
What do the Single Session Therapy interventions designed by Schleider involve?
The interventions may include a therapeutic session with a professional, peer support, or an online self-guided activity.
Regardless of their format, all Single Session Therapy interventions aim to leverage the recipient’s skills, based on the assumption that people already have the tools, strengths, and abilities necessary to make a significant change in their lives.
For which problems and with which people can a Single Session Therapy intervention be useful? The research conducted by Schleider has tested the effectiveness of single consultations with people suffering from anxiety and depression, but there is also evidence showing that these interventions could be helpful for trauma-related stress, suicidal thoughts, and eating disorders.
According to the researcher, the impact of Single Session Therapy does not seem to differ based on the severity of the mental health problems a person is facing or how long they have been suffering from them, as the focus of Single Session Therapy is on those aspects that can help a person change in any circumstance, such as hope, self-confidence, and motivation to take steps forward.
What online programs are offered to adolescents and parents to help them quickly overcome difficult moments?
The main online programs designed by Schleider for a self-guided single-session intervention experience are:
- The YES Project (Youth Empowerment & Support): This program, developed for Dr. Schleider’s research with adolescents, also serves as a helpful resource for anyone seeking help. It offers four types of online activities to address difficult emotions, including a (self)consultation in a single session.
- The EMPOWER Project: This project is aimed at anyone working with or caring for children and pre-adolescents. The intervention includes an online activity that helps adults teach children (and pre-adolescents) the skills necessary to develop courage and reduce anxiety.
Conclusions
Currently, in the United States, as in many other parts of the world, seeking mental health assistance can still represent a significant challenge. It is still common for people, after overcoming the fear of asking for help, to find themselves facing long waiting lists before receiving treatment. Single Session Therapy, in its various forms and applications, as demonstrated by Dr. Schleider’s research, can offer a great advantage to organizations and institutions that want to make their interventions more accessible and effective.
Angelica Giannetti
Psychologist, Psychotherapist
Team of the Italian Center
for Single Session Therapy
References
Cannistrà , F. & Piccirilli, F. (2018). Terapia a seduta singola. Principi e pratiche. Giunti.
Schleider, J. (2024). Little Treatments, Big Effects: How to Build Meaningful Moments that Can Transform Your Mental Health. Little, Brown Book Group.