Keep in Mind That Not Knowing Is a Key Part of SST

In the previous chapter, I discussed one aspect of not knowing in SST where the therapist proceeds to help the person without knowing much about them. While encouraging the client to prepare for the session is primarily to help the client get the most from the session, some therapists encourage the client to share their preparation form so that they, the therapist, can at least know some key points about the client, namely: i) the issue the client wants to discuss, its timeliness and significance; ii) the client’s session goal; iii) how the client has previously addressed the issue; iv) the internal and external resources the client can draw on in addressing the issue; and v) the help the client is seeking from the therapist. However, other therapists would rather go into the session without such information, arguing that it may be out of date by the time the session takes place and that they can inquire about the client’s current position on such matters during the session.