Many people struggle to engage with conventional support

Sometimes people are just too busy to take part in traditional ways of providing support, like attending a series of face-to-face sessions or using an app for a prolonged period. Young people can struggle when sessions are taking place during school hours. It can also be really hard to be engaged when you are experiencing symptoms like lack of energy, motivation and concentration.

It’s no surprise then that many people stop coming after just one session!

So how can we make the most of that first session, so that people can walk away with something useful? Existing programmes contain a number of different ‘active ingredients’ (the things that are creating change) that all work together to improve people’s mental health. We’ve looked at taking each of these active ingredients and putting them in their own programme that can be completed in one sitting.

SSIs are focused and brief, tackling one particular problem at a time.

It allows people to target their specific problems – whether that’s being kinder to yourself or doing more of what makes you feel good.

They open you up to the possibility of change.

By setting the expectation that you might feel better after just one sitting, SSIs open you up to the possibility of change. This is known as ‘growth mindset’, and research has shown that this helps people engage and benefit from therapy.

You don’t need to speak to anyone. You can take control of your wellbeing on your own.

Sometimes, you might not be ready to ask other people for support. You might not have the right language to ask for help, or you might be nervous about what people might say. SSIs give you an opportunity to learn skills from therapy on your own, empowering you to take control of your own wellbeing.

Sometimes, small changes are all you need.

Turning points / domino effect – increasing help-seeking ? Giving language to seek other support. SSIs as a first step.

BEST Principles

Psychoeducation, expert role