Lab for Scalable Mental Health
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Single Session Consultation
Picture
The SSC is a solution-focused, human-delivered consultation designed to help people take a small but meaningful step toward a future they want.

Frequently Asked Questions

​Who is this intervention designed for?
The Single-Session Consultation is for anyone interested in an 30- to 60-minute, solution-focused session that empowers people to take a small, feasible, and meaningful next-step towards a goal that matters to them.

How does this intervention help?
The Single-Session Consultation helps you narrow down a specific goal (or 'top hope') and makes a concrete plan for taking the smallest-possible next-step towards that goal, using principles from solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT).

What have we learned about this intervention so far?
Our two pilot studies with in-person and telehealth participants have shown that the Single-Session Consultation significantly decreases hopelessness, anxiety, and distress, and it improves agency, or the belief that you have control over some aspect of your life among people on waiting-lists for treatment. The SSC focuses on imagining a miracle that resolves your top problem and plans out how to take the smallest step you can think of to achieve the miracle. Both licensed mental health professionals (MA- and PhD-level) and non-licensed providers (BA-level individuals) have been trained to deliver the SSC to fidelity.

Where can I try out this intervention?
Following promising pilot trial results, we are continuing to test the Single-Session Consultation in diverse settings and populations, including healthcare settings, college students, and therapists-in-training. Materials for the SSC, including the intervention protocol, training slides, and an 'action plan' worksheet, are available online, for free, which you can access using this link: https://osf.io/xnz2t/.

How do I cite this intervention?
(For in-person results)
Schleider, J. L., Sung, J. Y., Bianco, A., Gonzalez, A., Vivian, D., & Mullarkey, M. C. (2021). Open pilot trial of a single-session consultation service for clients on psychotherapy wait-lists. The Behavior Therapist, 44(1), 8-15. Pre-print: https://psyarxiv.com/fdwqk.

(For telehealth results)
Sung
, J. Y., Bugatti, M., Vivian, D., & Schleider, J. L. (2023). Evaluating a telehealth single-session consultation service for clients on psychotherapy wait-lists. Practice Innovations, 8(2), 141–161. https://doi.org/10.1037/pri0000207

Where can I access these intervention materials for research purposes?
Visit our Open Science Framework Page here.

Publications

Schleider, J. L., Sung, J. Y., Bianco, A., Gonzalez, A., Vivian, D., & Mullarkey, M. C. (2021). Open pilot trial of a single-session consultation service for clients on psychotherapy wait-lists. The Behavior Therapist, 44(1), 8-15. Pre-print: https://psyarxiv.com/fdwqk.

Sung, J., Bugatti, M., Vivian, D., & Schleider, J. (in press). Evaluating a telehealth single-session consultation service for clients on psychotherapy wait-lists. Practice Innovations. Pre-print: 
https://psyarxiv.com/k7u4r/​.

LAB for scalable mental health
Northwestern University

Director: Jessica Schleider, Ph.D.

​Logo design & illustrative content by Kendall Farris
  • Our work
    • Mission + Projects
    • Publications
    • News
    • Books
  • People
    • Lab Director
    • Lab Members
    • Lab Mascots
    • In Memoriam
  • Partnership
    • Types of Opportunities
  • Project YES
    • Advice Center
  • Project EMPOWER
  • Resources + Training
    • Join the Lab >
      • Prospective PhD Students
      • Prospective Master's Students
      • Prospective Post-Docs
    • Open Materials
    • Dashboard
  • Donate