One Meaningful Session. Real Movement - Right Away.
A Single Session Consultation (SSC) is a 60-minute, highly focused session designed to help you make progress on one specific concern – without committing to ongoing therapy.
You’ll leave with a clear, personalized action plan and practical next steps you can use immediately.
Whether you’re navigating a decision, feeling stuck, or need support right now, a single session can help move forward with emotional clarity and confidence. Sometimes one good conversation is all you need!
60-minute session
Appointments typically scheduled within 48 hours
In-person in DC, VA, NY or via telehealth nationwide
No long intake process
No commitment to ongoing therapy
Unlike a traditional intake or consultation, this is a structured, evidence-based intervention designed to create meaningful progress in a single session.
Rooted in solution-focused and goal-oriented therapy, SSC helps you:
Focus on one specific, important concern
Identify what’s getting in the way
Reframe your perspective
Build a realistic, step-by-step plan
Take action right away
Your session will be scheduled with a licensed Ross Center mental health clinician who has undergone extensive, specialized training by The Center for Scalable Health at Northwestern University. Together you’ll collaborate to create a plan that is practical, personalized, and immediately useful.
During your session, you will:
A Single Session Consultation may be a great fit if:
A difficult decision about work or career
Anxiety about an upcoming event
Parenting challenges or concerns about a child/teen
Conflict with a partner, family member, or colleague
Stress related to work or school
Grief, loss, or major life changes
Wanting to start or stop a specific behavior
Navigating mental health care options
A time-sensitive situation that needs to be resolved
Concern about a loved one (parent, partner, child, friend)
Decisions about major life transitions
Single-session interventions are designed to be focused, efficient, and impactful.
Research shows that even one structured, goal-oriented session can:
Dr. Sharon Thomas explains how a Single Session Consultation can be useful in addressing one single problem, right now.
You can typically meet with a clinician within 48 hours.
To request an appointment:
Call: 202-363-1010
Text: 844-612-7213
Email: DCinfo@rosscenter.com
Sessions are available in-person in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and New York, or via telehealth nationwide.
In multiple real-world trials, the SSC has prevented (and reduced!) mental health problems in teens and adults waiting for longer-term treatment and seeking drop-in clinical services—while strengthening their sense of hope and boosting their motivation for change. There have been 415 randomized clinical trials that collected data on SSC's, with 20 out of 24 reviews indicating that the intervention resulted in a benefit. Learn more:
This research-based model is based on solution-focused therapy, and was created by Jessica Schleider, PhD, psychologist and director of the Lab for Scalable Mental Health at Northwestern University, and her team. They developed a structured program that intentionally involves one single visit intended to significantly improve mental health outcomes in both youth and adults. Learn more here: Single-Session Interventions Significantly Reduce Mental Health Issues for Youth and Adults
Yes SSC can be used for non life-threatening concerns. Should more intensive services be needed, the SSC clinician can help create a plan to seek those services.
No, consultations are intended to address a single concern, and the meeting does not include an evaluation or a diagnosis.
No, you do not need a diagnosis.
In a Single Session Consultation, you are not given a diagnosis, but rather we work together on a specific issue. Therefore, many insurance carriers will not cover sessions without a diagnosis code. Often, people are able to use their HSA (Health Savings Account) benefits to pay for SSC. Although we do not bill insurance carriers directly, we can provide you with the receipts necessary if you choose to submit to your insurance. You can refer to SheerHealth.com for help in determining your out-of-network benefits. Learn more HERE on how to submit claims for out-of-network benefits to your insurance company.
At times, a Single Session Consultation may be used within the context of the treatment plan for current Ross Center patients. In this case, a diagnosis code would allow for the session to be billed like a regular therapy session in which case the insurer would treat it the same as other therapy sessions submitted.
We try to schedule consultations within 2 business days of your request.
You can attend multiple single session consultations, however if it seems like SSC is being used as weekly therapy, your clinician may recommend more traditional therapy services.
