Dryden - Single session integrated CBT: distinctive features

During the pre-session phone conversation, I suggested that you find out what experiences your client has had in being helped and helping themselves both in general and, more specifically, with respect to their target problem. Then, you can use these helping principles and self-helping principles to facilitate change with respect to this problem.

Eugene indicated that exposure to threat and tolerating discomfort while he did so helped him with a problem earlier in his life. Consequently, I used a number of opportunities to remind him of his successful application of these principles and helped him to see how he could use them while tackling his target problem. In addition, I showed Eugene how he could rehearse his flexible and self-accepting beliefs prior to giving a group presentation and to hold these beliefs in mind while he was in the situation.

When you know what strengths your client considers they have you can make reference at judicial times in the SSI-CBT process to these strengths in order to make their self-change efforts more meaningful and therefore more impactful.

When Eugene expressed a doubt about his capability to apply some of the ideas that we discussed in the face-to-face session, I reminded him that with determination (his stated strength) he may surprise himself concerning what he could achieve. He seemed to resonate with this way of linking determination as a response to such doubt.

Making reference to your clients selected role model or someone who has been helpful to your client can galvanize your client, particularly when they appear to be flagging. What is more important is helping your client keep the person in mind after the face-to-face session when putting into practice what they have learned in the session.

Eugenes selected his paternal grandfather as someone who might be influential in the SSI-CBT and pointed to a helpful saying that he associated with his grandfather, namely, What is very bad now, will not seem so bad in the morning. This phrase nicely encapsulates the non-extreme belief known as a nonawfulizing belief and I encouraged Eugene to use a version of it, should he encounter people who did regard his nervousness as a defect: It might seem awful at the time if people thought that my nervousness was a defect, but it would not seem so bad the next day. Eugene said that if he imagined his grandfather saying this to him with his arm placed around Eugenes shoulder that this would be particularly impactful and I encouraged him to do so.

The more you can utilize your clients learning, the more likely it is that they will derive benefit from the SSI-CBT, assuming that they relate to the ideas that you have helped them develop.

Eugene said that he learns best by giving himself some time to think things through and particularly disliked being rushed. Although it may seem that this would pose a particular challenge given that time is at a premium in SSI-CBT. However, I encouraged Eugene to take his time at various points in the process and the time he devoted to doing so was, in my opinion, well spent since he appeared to be more involved in the process at the end of each period of reflection. He also came up with a few reservations about the usefulness of flexible beliefs that revealed some misconceptions about this concept that I was able to address and once Eugene took his time to digest my points he became more committed to the constructiveness of flexibility of belief.