Single Session Therapy
Single session therapy for parents seeking support for their child
Just one appointment to start change
Single Session Therapy (SST) is an evidence-based, focused therapeutic approach designed to provide meaningful support, insight, and practical strategies within one intentional session, while also allowing families the option of future sessions, if needed.
Rather than viewing one session as “not enough,” SST approaches the appointment as though this may be the only or most important session a family attend. This often leads to highly focused, collaborative, practical, and motivating care.
Research suggests that many clients attend only one therapy session regardless of the service model or reason for attending. Let's make one session count!
Evidence supporting single session therapy
Research has demonstrated that single session approaches can:
- Reduce parent stress
- Improve parent confidence
- Improve child and family wellbeing
- Increase clarity around developmental and emotional needs
- Improve emotional regulation and behaviour support strategies
- Increase therapeutic engagement
- Create meaningful change even without ongoing therapy
- Be highly satisfactory for families
- Produce measurable improvements maintained over time
Single session work can be particularly empowering because it assumes:
- Families already possess strengths and knowledge
- Small environmental or relational changes can create significant shifts
- Parents do not necessarily need long-term therapy to make meaningful changes
- Timely support can prevent escalation of difficulties
Why a single session parent appointment?
Better suit families who:
- Are seeking clarity
- Want support on how to be neuroaffirming
- Have identified some potential 'red flags'
- Wish to extend the learnings from A Tidy Pigsty to their own home
- Need immediate practical strategies
- Prefer a focused consultation
- Feel unsure if ongoing therapy is needed
- Want support early before difficulties escalate
- Have many other commitments
- Have attended enough appointments
Common areas addressed in single session consults:
- Developmental understanding / expectations
- Parenting support
- Repair after conflict
- Parenting burnout
- Emotional regulation difficulties
- Neuroaffirming parenting approaches
- Family communication
- School stress and masking
- Transitions and routines
- Environmental psychology changes
- Sensory environment
- Executive functioning supports
- Emotional regulation supports
- Behavioural and CBT-informed supports
This list could go on.... Many families do not necessarily require intensive long-term therapy. Sometimes one focused, reflective, evidence-informed conversation can create meaningful change.
“Parents are often already trying incredibly hard. A single session can provide the developmental understanding, neuroaffirming guidance, and practical environmental or parenting adjustments that help families move from surviving to feeling more connected and supported.”
Dr Natasha Herron (formerly Dr Natasha Perry)
CF, DClinHealthPsych, BPsych (Hons), AAPi, AIPA, MAPS
FOUNDER / SENIOR CLINICAL AND HEALTH PSYCHOLOGIST
Dr Natasha Herron is a Senior Clinical and Health Psychologist with a deep commitment to early intervention and transdiagnostic care. With 20 years of industry experience across public, private and not-for-profit sectors, Natasha has supported many children, young people, adults and families with the skills they need to make meaningful changes to their lives.
Contact us
Dr Natasha Herron offers her telehealth services from the Newcastle (Awabakal) region.
Her business days are Monday and Wednesday.
Please phone 0497 210 079 with any queries.
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