Although not always named, grief is central to the experience of mental illness — for people diagnosed, their families and their friends. Yet grief is almost absent from the literature and practice of mainstream psychiatry. This curious fact led to the writing of this article by two workers and a carer, with editorial and political advice from a consumer, as a small step in the direction of integrating perspectives of workers, carers and consumers. It examines the nature of grief associated with mental illness, its impact on family members, and why mainstream mental health services do not directly address it, with suggestions for some therapeutic ways to conceptualise and work with it.

In recent decades, discussion about clinical practice has been dominated by a focus on evidence‐based treatments, whilst the translation of evidence‐based treatments into practice has been neglected or avoided. The single session therapy (SST) field reflects this general trend. As a result, the community has not benefited from available service improvements simply because they have not found their way into core practice or been translated across state‐wide services. This article draws on a range of implementation projects managed by The Bouverie Centre, in particular a successful state‐wide SST implementation project conducted in collaboration with Victorian community health counselling services, to raise implementation dilemmas and suggest practical ideas about the translation of SST ideas into mainstream clinical practice. It is hoped this discussion will be of interest to those wanting to translate any new idea into practice.

This paper uses three clinical examples to illustrate the experience of feeling abandoned by theory – times when no one model has sufficient signposts to show the way. Therapy is considered to be an endlessly creative interpersonal encounter, to which the client brings the major resource for change. It is argued that the therapist is influenced by worldview, values and beliefs, and personal style, as well as by theoretical model. Further, it is suggested that there is a need to acknowledge and investigate the limitations of therapy. An argument is made for ‘going beyond the model’, for seeking an ethical practice based on what our clients tell us is important, and for sharing across models the common dilemmas and goals of therapy. Clinicians are encouraged to articulate their own ‘swampy lowland’ principles of practice.

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This update presents key developments since Talmon's original (1990) publication, including an account of the three international symposia which have taken place since the last ANZJFT special edition on single session therapy in 2012, and the major compilations that followed the symposia. Underlying elements that unite different single session approaches are explored, and an attempt is made to provide a terminology that is inclusive and coherent. As reflected in the title, the term 'single session thinking' is suggested as an over-arching term for the approach that is no longer limited to the therapy room, but reaches into many different contexts. In conclusion, possible future clinical and research developments in the field of single session thinking and practice are reflected upon, and the implications for contemporary health care delivery considered.