Single‐session therapy for teachers with a health disabling condition

Abstract

A recent Alberta teacher health study indicated that teachers on long‐term disability (LTD) benefits are, for the most part, left to their own devices regarding rehabilitation. Subsequently, the authors of that study (Jevne and Zingle, 1990) recommended the development of a “psychologically and educationally sound intervention” to assist the LTD teacher in maximizing recovery. In response to this recommendation, an adaptation of single‐session therapy was developed by Talman (1990) and a pilot intervention was carried out. Thirty‐three LTD teachers, volunteered to become part of this pilot project designed to provide individualized consultation and follow‐up based on an empowerment model. The main focus of these consultations was to determine the present state of wellness and to provide new insights and expand alternatives within a caring and safe therapeutic environment. The follow‐up debriefings and evaluations indicated that most individuals experienced substantive change in many areas of wellness during the time of the study. Without assuming direct causal relationship, it would seem that this single‐session therapy approach has potential as a model of brief intervention for the “disabled” teacher.

Doing sport psychology briefly? A critical review of single session therapeutic approaches and their relevance to sport psychology

“…Clients were asked to complete questionnaires in the waiting room (Miller, 2008;Slive et al, 2008), prior to arrival (Fry, 2012), or over the phone prior to attending the session (Jevne, Zingle, Ryan, McDougall, & Mortemore, 1995;Paul & van Ommeren, 2013). Clients were asked to complete questionnaires in the waiting room (Miller, 2008;Slive et al, 2008), prior to arrival (Fry, 2012), or over the phone prior to attending the session (Jevne, Zingle, Ryan, McDougall, & Mortemore, 1995;Paul & van Ommeren, 2013).…”

“…Indeed, utilizing strengths and existing resources within the intervention was explicitly referred to by 16 of the 27 studies included in this review. Jevne et al (1995) noted that the observing therapists in their consultancy team would be trained to identify strengths and resources that may be utilized in the intervention. The role of the therapist was to discover the client's strengths and resources through their questions and to direct these towards solving the client's problem.…”

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“…At this point, the entire team meets to design an intervention in the form of a "feedback" message or "homework" task that utilizes the clients' resources (Bobele et al, 2008;Slive & Bobele, 2012). Jevne, Zingle, Ryan, McDougall, and Mortemore (1995) described the observation team in their SST approach as the "…eyes and ears of alternative meaning" (p.7), and noted that they were trained "…to avoid assumptions, to emphasize the strengths rather than deficits, to introduce options non-directively and to reinforce hope and empowerment" (p.8). Fry (2012) described a further evolution of brief team consultancy in which the client and primary therapist swap places with the observation team towards the end of the session.…”

“…include one individual who "tags" the consultation live, one individual who records all the client's strengths and resources (Jevne et al, 1995) that can be utilized when designing an intervention, and one individual who "maps" the session on a whiteboard. When working this way we also try to abide by a number of shared assumptions regarding behavior change and problem solving as well as a number of "ground rules" for working as a team.…”