The Power of the Unique Encounter in Psychological On-Call Services

The Single Encounter has been little explored in psychological literature, although reflections on Psychological On-Call Services indirectly address the topic. I found only one chapter, authored by myself, that deals with this subject. The issue of the duration of psychotherapy is rarely discussed, as it is traditionally assumed that psychotherapy should be long-term, without clearly specifying the criteria that distinguish long-term therapy from short or brief therapy.

This paper presents conceptual and historical convergences and divergences with Brief Psychotherapies and Single-Session Psychotherapy, from the perspective of the duration of psychotherapeutic processes.

It traces the evolution of the Single Encounter, from Techné Alupias, proposed by Antiphon (5th century BCE), to the idea of casual contact, proposed by Carl Rogers in 1946; from demonstration interviews both within and outside the Person-Centered Approach since the 1960s; through work with small groups (Encounter Groups) and large groups (workshops for significant learning); to more recent proposals such as Psychological On-Call Services, the clinical approach to psychological emergencies, and the practice of empathic witnessing.

Finally, it proposes the distinctive characteristics of the radical nature of the single encounter: authenticity, the uniqueness of the moment, and genuine welcoming.

BREVE RESEÑA PERSONAL/BRIEF PERSONAL REVIEW

Cisgender woman, heterosexual, 74 years old, Brazilian, divorced; psychologist and psychotherapist; Specialist in Clinical Psychology; Master’s and PhD in Psychology.

She is a retired university professor and the director and founding partner of the Projeto Conexão Formativa. She has served as a visiting professor at various institutions and is the author of book chapters and organizer of books, as well as a national and international conference speaker.