Structure of a Text-based Single-session Intervention (I)
Great job! We've explored how to establish a strong online presence and mastered key text-based intervention techniques. Now, let's bring it all together and put these skills into action! While traditional therapy often involves multiple sessions, the reality in Canada is that text-based interventions are frequently used in single-session formats, whether in crisis intervention, school counselling, or other immediate support settings. In this module, we'll introduce a structured approach to single-session text-based interventions and gives you a clear framework to confidently apply everything you've learned so far in real-world practice.
Basics of Single-Session Intervention
Single-Session Intervention (SSI), also known as Single-Session Therapy (SST), is a structured, solution-focused approach where one planned session is expected to be the only session. Both the therapist and client enter the session with the mindset that this may be the only opportunity for intervention.
Many individuals struggling with mental health concerns face barriers to accessing treatment, and those who do often attend only one session. This makes SSIs a crucial tool for bridging the treatment gap. A comprehensive review of 415 clinical trialsfound that SSIs can significantly improve mental health outcomes for issues such as anxiety, depression, substance use, and treatment engagement. The study reported that 83% of systematic reviews showed significant, positive effects of SSIs across various age groups and concerns.
SSIs are especially relevant to text-based interventions, which are widely used in crisis lines and online mental health platforms.
In this course, we cover how to quickly build rapport, deliver an effective intervention, and close sessions with clarity and care—all within about an hour. Occasional light-hearted examples are included to keep things engaging.
Understanding the three-step frameword for text-based SSI
Shifting to text-based work requires a structured yet flexible approach. The Three-Step Framework breaks a 60-minute session into three phases: Beginning, Middle, and Ending—each with specific goals. This mirrors traditional therapy stages (rapport-building, working on the issue, and closing) but adapts them to the pace and style of texting.
Why use a framework? In text communication, time moves quickly—typing and reading take longer than speaking. A structured approach helps manage time effectively and ensures:
- Rapport is built early
- The middle phase stays focused on a manageable issue
- Closure is prioritized to prevent abrupt endings
Without structure, a session may end just as things get insightful. Using a clear three-step plan helps guide the conversation smoothly and ensures clients aren't caught off guard when the session concludes.
Step 1: Beginning – building rapport
- Start with a warm and welcoming greeting
- Use a collaborative and supportive tone
- Clarify the session process and what to expect
- Help the client identify their main focus for the session
Step 2: Middle – implementing intervention strategies
- Apply evidence-based techniques adapted for text
- Assist the client in exploring their concern through guided conversation
- Identify potential solutions or coping strategies
- Use therapeutic exercises that fit the text format
- Maintain a client-centered and goal-focused approach
Step 3: Ending – summarization and closure
- Summarize key takeaways from the conversation
- Ensure any next steps are clear for the client
- Provide a sense of closure and acknowledge their progress
- Offer a positive, encouraging message to wrap up
- Leave the door open for future support if needed
This framework isn't a rigid script. Clients' needs come first, and adjustments may be needed (e.g., revisiting rapport-building mid-session if a client becomes anxious or disengaged). By keeping these three steps in mind, you ensure your session has a cohesive beginning, middle, and end. The key is to approach each session as a complete experience, offering support that stands on its own. Now, let's explore each step in more detail with techniques and examples.
Beginning hhase - Building rapport quickly
The first few minutes of a text session set the tone. In face-to-face therapy, a smile builds trust. In text, you rely on words alone to create connection and safety. This phase is about making the client feel welcome, heard, and confident this chat can help. With limited time, you'll also pinpoint their main goal early to stay focused.
Techniques for rapid engagement
If you've read our previous modules, you may know that certain features of text therapy, such as the online disinhibition effect, can help build rapport with clients quickly, even without verbal communication. However, there are still key steps to ensure a smooth and effective rapport-building process.
(The examples below may come from separate conversations.)
Warm and personal greeting
Start the chat with a friendly and respectful greeting that acknowledges the client. You can also ask for their name, even if some chat platforms display it, as using their preferred name can help build rapport.
Hi, thank you for reaching out. I'm Peter, a therapist at ABC Clinic
What can I call you?
Hi.. You can call me John
Nice to meet you, John
Collaborative agenda setting
Early on, invite the client to share what they want help with today.
It is also recommended to briefly mention the time limit for the session, as clients typically do not know how long it will last, especially for free services. While crisis intervention sessions may not always have a strict time frame, providing an estimated duration can still be beneficial.
We've got about an hour together to talk about whatever's on your mind
This gives the client control and shows that you're goal-focused. It's crucial in single-session work to identify a focus quickly.
You might also explicitly mention the single-session nature:
Since we might only have this one chat, what's most important for you to talk about today?
Therapists are encouraged to orient the client to the session's purpose, and recruit their active participation. Such transparancy boosts engagement.
Early focus and contracting
Once the client shares their primary concern, reflect it back and establish a focus together.
It sounds like the main issue you're facing is anxiety about your new job?
If they mention multiple issues, gently help them prioritize:
Those are two big topics. Which one would you like to focus on first? Or do you feel they're closely connected?
Clients may have a “kitchen sink” moment where they unload everything at once. Acknowledge all their concerns, but gently guide them toward identifying what feels most pressing or manageable right now.
Validation and instilling hope
As you conclude the beginning phase, try to provide validation and instill hope.
I really appreciate you sharing this with me
It takes courage to open up, and I'm here to support you
Compliments and highlighting the client's strengths, such as acknowledging their courage in seeking help—can strengthen the therapeutic alliance early on.
Quickly build alliance through empathy
Without nonverbal cues, empathy must be written explicitly. Paraphrase the client's early messages to show you're truly listening.
I'm just so difficult with everything... work, relationship, finance... just everything
It sounds like things feel really overwhelming for you...
For the basic structure, the therapist can ask a question right after reflecting on the client's feelings or content. This approach shows genuine interest in understanding their situation. Additionally, as in this case, it helps identify a focus within the limited timeframe.
Out of everything that's been difficult, what feels the hardest for you right now?
This kind of statement shows acceptance and invites the client to open up more.
Match the client's communication style (to a professional degree)
People have different texting styles, including word choice and the use of emojis. In the previous module, we discussed how mirroring a client's use of emojis can help build rapport. However, it is not always necessary to match the client's texting pace.
I just feel so done with all this 😞
I'm really sorry you're feeling this way 😞 That sounds really tough
Case Example
This example illustrates the beginning phase of a session with a client named Jamie, who is feeling lost and unsure where to start.
Warm and personal greeting
The therapist acknowledges Jamie's emotions and reassures them that this is a safe space to talk.
Hi, I am Bella, a volunteer from CDE crisis service
What can I call you?
Hey… you can call me Jamie I guess
I don't really know how to start. Just... everything is just too much
Jamie, it seems like you are handling a lot, but I am glad that you would like to find us
We got around an hour here, an I would like to know more about your current feeling first
Collaborative agenda setting, early focus and contracting
The therapist accompany Jamie to explore his emotions and try to ask more about the cause of the emotion. Then, the therapist can get what happened and find a focus on the session.
Mad? or disappointed?
What make you feel this way?
I found out my wife cheat on me, and I never think of it will happen. We even have a baby on our way and I don't know is the baby mine
Validation and instilling hope
The therapist validates Jamie's emotions, provides support, and helps him feel less alone in his distress.
That sounds incredibly painful... I wouldn't want to underestimate what you're going through
I'm here to listen to your frustration, and hopefully, we can work through this together
Quickly build alliance through empathy
The therapist acknowledges Jamie's deep pain, validates his emotions, and demonstrates understanding.
It's our five year wedding anniversary, and everything was good... We even talked a lot about our future, and now I'm looking at the clothes I bought for the baby... and I don't even know if she's mine
That's heartbreaking, Jamie. You had built a future in your mind, and now everything feels not the same now...
Yeah... before, I felt like I was the luckiest man in the world, and I never thought I'd have to face something like this
Match the client's communication style
As you can see, both the client and therapist use natural and plain English to communicate. As mentioned earlier, it is highly recommended that therapists use the language they are most comfortable with, unless the client seems to have difficulty understanding or is using a dialect the therapist is familiar with. Additionally, this is a very serious and distressing topic for the client. In such cases, it is best to avoid using emojis, as they may not align with the emotional tone of the conversation.
Middle phase - Implementing intervention strategies
With rapport established and a clear focus in mind, the session shifts into its middle phase. The goal here is to assist the client in moving forward, whether by gaining insight, learning a coping skill, reframing their perspective, or problem-solving. In a single-session format, therapists aim to leave the client with something tangible, such as a plan, a new way of thinking, or a decision.
Since this course is not focused on applying different modalities in text-based therapy but rather on providing a general understanding, we will not go into detail on how to use them in text. Instead, we will share brief examples of how to approach them.
Key intervention strategies
Solution-focused questions
Single-session therapy often borrows from Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), which directs attention to solutions and strengths rather than deeply exploring past trauma.
A common approach is using the Miracle Question in text:
If this stress you've been feeling was gone, what would be different? What's the first thing you would notice?
Other useful solution-focused prompts include:
When was the last time you felt a little less stressed?
On a scale of 1-10, where 10 is completely calm and 1 is extreme stress, where are you now?
These techniques encourage hope and small, achievable progress.
Cognitive-behavioural techniques from Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT)
CBT-based interventions work well in text format. While a full CBT session isn't possible in a single-session therapy, brief reframing exercises can be impactful.
I know my coworkers think I'm terrible at my job
What makes you feel that way?
Through guided questioning, clients can shift perspectives:
Well… no one has actually said that, but I just feel it.
Those feelings can indeed be so strong...
Sometimes, our minds tend to create stories that make us feel worse, even when we aren't sure where those feelings stem from
CBT strategies in single-session interventions should be concise and actionable, focusing on immediate cognitive shifts rather than deep analysis.
Problem-solving and action planning
Many clients seek immediate guidance on a decision or conflict. A structured problem-solving approach helps guide them toward solutions.
I feel stuck. I don't know whether I should stay at my job or quit. It's making me miserable, but I'm scared of leaving...
That sounds like a tough dilemma. Would it help if we explored your options together?
Typing solutions out visually helps clients weigh their choices and make a plan. Unlike long-term therapy, which often focuses on deep insights to help clients find their own way forward, a single-session intervention can be more direct while still encouraging them to explore their options.
In single-session interventions, problem-solving can be practical and action-oriented, giving clients a clear next step while ensuring they feel supported.
Some therapists prefer to explore emotions first, but in a single-session intervention, when the client's need is clear, delaying practical suggestions might make the session feel unhelpful. This could lead to the client disengaging.
A suggested approach is to first provide a possible solution or a way forward, and then gently encourage the client to explore their emotions and frustrations in more depth.
Sharing quick coping skills
In moments of distress, guiding clients through a simple coping technique via text can be highly effective.
The therapist provides step-by-step guidance:
Let's try this together
Breathe in slowly for 4 seconds… Hold for 4 seconds… Now exhale slowly for 4 seconds...
Try this a few times, and let me know how it feels
Since therapists can't see the client, checking in afterward is key:
How are you feeling after trying that? Any change in tension?
Simple interactive exercises like this empower clients with tools they can use beyond the session.
Case Example: Guiding a Client Through the Middle Phase
This example follows Jamie, who has just opened up about his wife's infidelity and the uncertainty surrounding his unborn child's paternity. Having built rapport in the beginning phase, the therapist now uses emotionally focused therapy to help Jamie process his emotions, uncover underlying feelings, and begin shifting toward a more adaptive emotional stance within the session's limited timeframe.
Transitioning from rapport to emotional exploration
The therapist validates Jamie's last message and invites him to sit with the emotions tied to his experience, setting the stage for EFT's focus on feeling and attachment.
Yeah... before, I felt like I was the luckiest man in the world, and I never thought I'd have to face something like this
That shift from feeling so lucky to this betrayal. It sounds like it's hit you really hard, Jamie...
What's the strongest feeling that comes up when you think about that change?
I guess… hurt? Like my chest hurts just thinking about her with someone else… and scared, too
Deepening into primary emotions
The therapist gently probes beneath the surface to uncover Jamie's core emotions and then help him connect with his vulnerability rather than just the shock or anger.
That hurt in your chest and the fear... I can feel how raw that is for you
When you picture her with someone else, what does that hurt tell you deep down?
That she doesn't love me anymore… that I'm not enough... And the baby's not mine... I've lost everything we built...
It's like part of you is grieving what you thought you had
Can you stay with that feeling for a moment and tell me where it sits in your body?
It's tight… like my chest is caving in, and my stomach's all knotted...
Validating and reframing the emotional experience
The therapist validates Jamie's pain and begins to reframe it as a natural response to a ruptured attachment, helping him feel less alone in his distress.
That tightness and those knots...They make so much sense, Jamie. When someone we love breaks that trust, it's like our whole sense of safety shakes
It's your heart saying how much you cared. Does it feel true that this depth of hurt comes from how much you loved?
Yeah… I did love her. I still do, even now, and it kills me
That love's still there, even through the pain... That's powerful. It's okay to feel both at once
What happens inside when you let that love and hurt sit together, instead of fighting them?
It's… less sharp? Like I'm not choking on it as much. But it still sucks...
Shifting toward an adaptive response
The therapist helps Jamie move from being overwhelmed by his emotions to expressing a need, fostering a small sense of agency within the single-session constraints.
That softening, even a little, is a big deal. It's your strength showing through
If that hurt could speak right now, what would it say it needs to feel less suffocating?
Maybe… to not be alone? I don't want to keep hiding in my head with this...
Who could be with you in this, even just a little, to lighten that load today?
My friend Mark… he's been through a breakup. I could text him, see if he's around
As mentioned above, it is not possible to implement a full modality in a single-session intervention, especially since typing takes more time than speaking in a session. However, the above example shows how you can use techniques from different modalities to assist the client in reaching a certain goal.
Key Takeaways
Now, we know how to implement the first and middle phases of SSI via text for effective intervention. In the next module, we will focus on the ending phase, which ensures a structured closure and leaves the client with a clear next step.