The Single-Session Consultation was developed by Dr. Jean Rhodes and colleagues as a mentoring-adapted version of an evidence-based model created by psychologist Dr. Jessica Schleider at Northwestern University. The consultation guides youth through naming a top concern, imagining a “better day,” and creating a concrete, realistic action plan they can start right away.

Decades of research on single-session interventions show that even one structured, skills-focused meeting can reduce hopelessness and distress and increase young people’s sense of agency and willingness to seek support. A meta-analysis of 50 randomized trials found that brief, single-session programs produced meaningful improvements in youth mental health across a range of problems and settings (Schleider and Weisz, 2017; Schleider et al., 2020). This course translates that evidence into a practical mentoring conversation that helps young people feel more hopeful and better equipped to handle what is on their minds, even if they only meet with a helper once.