Single session web-based counselling: a thematic analysis of content from the perspective of the client

Despite the exponential growth of non-appointment-based web counselling, there is limited information on what happens in a single session intervention. This exploratory study, involving a thematic analysis of 85 counselling transcripts of people seeking help for problem gambling, aimed to describe the presentation and content of online conversations. Observed from the perspective of the client, we found that presentations were related to immediate help with a crisis and non-urgent assistance in developing strategies and skills. Almost all clients spent a great deal of time telling their story (i.e., the pattern, context, progression and impact of the problem, motivation for continuing and previous attempts to change) with less time spent exploring opportunities, readiness or self-efficacy related to change or relevant options and strategies. These findings provide important information that informs the application of traditional counselling approaches within web-based environments.