Making Psychotherapy Count from the Start The average client today only comes to therapy five to eight times, and many only come once, so it is increasingly important, therefore, for therapists to achieve first-session success. Therapeutic skills and sales and marketing savvy are equally important to this task. In the first sixty minutes, clinicians must build trust, communicate what they have to offer, and ensure that the client feels different when they walk out than they did walking in. Short, practical, and applicable to all therapeutic modalities, this book walks readers through all the first-session essentials, including preparation for the first session, action-steps for each stage of the session, techniques for changing the emotional climate, and “closing the deal,” to make sure that clients come back for more. Packed with case examples, vignettes, tools, and techniques, The Art of the First Session prepares clinicians with critical skills to cut through performance anxiety, feel and convey confidence with clients, and hit the ground running in therapy with new clients.

How to use limited therapeutic time most efficiently Research shows that many clients seeking therapeutic help attendfor one session only--no matter what their therapist's orientationor approach. Moshe Talmon demonstrates how therapists can turn thissingle encounter into a positive therapeutic experience. Based on a study of hundreds of single-session cases, this bookoffers a realistic, practical approach to using a single session toprompt substantial changes in patients' lives. The author describeshow to make the most of patients' innate ability to healthemselves--presenting insights into bolstering the patient'sexisting strengths, restoring autonomy and confidence, and offeringsolutions that the patient can implement immediately.