An Expert Understanding of the Single-Session Mindset

Following Moshe Talmon’s (1990) ground-breaking work on single-session therapy, the philosophy and practice of single-session therapy has expanded across the world. Critically, and regardless of context and approach, single-session therapists support adopting a “single-session mindset” (Cannistrà, 2022; Hoyt et al., 2020). Our study sought to clarify expert’s understanding of this mindset with empirical evidence. Ten world leading figures in single-session therapy were interviewed against this aim. Reflexive thematic analysis highlighted a single-session mindset is founded upon nine core beliefs and seventeen attitudes that are intentionally embraced, before and during single-session work. This mindset aligns the therapist and client towards the possibility of creating change within a single session. The findings provide empirical clarity on the concept of the single-session mindset, offering valuable insights for practitioners attempting to implement brief methods into practice and for trainers who are helping others to do so.