When Time Is at a Premium: Single-Session Therapy Informed by Client Factors and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

When time is at a premium, therapy must be purposeful, focused and immediately useful. In this substantially revised and expanded second edition, Windy Dryden presents a clear, practical and highly accessible guide to Single-Session Therapy informed by Client Factors and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (SST: ICF & CBT).

Originally published in 2016, When Time Is at a Premium reflected an earlier phase of Windy Dryden’s thinking. A decade on, his perspective has evolved. In this new edition, he places client factors firmly at the heart of the work. Rather than beginning with therapy factors, Windy Dryden shows therapists how to start with what clients already bring: their strengths, values, prior learning, social supports and capacity for change. Only when these resources prove insufficient does he introduce ideas informed by CBT. The result is a flexible, client-led, and highly responsive approach to single-session work.

At its core, SST: ICF & CBT is built on a simple but powerful premise: therapist and client agree to meet for one focused conversation, with the aim of helping the client walk away with what they most hoped to gain. This conversation is not an assessment disguised as therapy; it is therapy from the very first moment. It is grounded in informed consent, transparency and collaboration. Clients are encouraged to reflect, digest, implement and evaluate what they take from the session, returning for further help only if they decide it is needed.

Windy Dryden outlines the distinctive mindset required for effective single-session practice: working as if this meeting may be the only one, while remaining ethically open to more. He demonstrates how to agree on a clear focus, identify the adversity at the heart of a client’s difficulty, and co-create practical, memorable solutions that clients can implement immediately. Throughout, he integrates insights from CBT – particularly Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy – in a way that is concise, humane and emotionally impactful.

This second edition also addresses common misunderstandings about single-session work, explores who can benefit from it, and offers detailed guidance on good practice. Rich with clinical examples, practical frameworks and thoughtful reflection, the book challenges the assumption that meaningful therapeutic change requires extended treatment.
Written in Windy Dryden’s characteristically clear and engaging style, When Time Is at a Premium will appeal to therapists, counsellors, coaches and trainees across modalities who are interested in brief, focused and effective psychological help. It is also an invitation to rethink how therapy can be delivered when readiness for change is high and delay is costly.

About the author
Windy Dryden is Emeritus Professor of Psychotherapeutic Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London and is in part-time independent practice. His interests include single-session therapy, very brief interventions, Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), and promoting self-help. Professor Dryden has written or edited over 300 books.