Objectives To determine the effects of a brief psychological intervention (brief psychodynamic interpersonal therapy) for patients after deliberate self poisoning compared with usual treatment. To compare the impact of the active intervention and usual treatment on patients' satisfaction with care.

These preliminary findings suggest that brief psychodynamic-interpersonal therapy may be cost-effective relative to usual care for patients with enduring nonpsychotic symptoms who are not helped by conventional psychiatric treatment.

Four session PIT for deliberate self-poisoning is effective in reducing suicidal ideation in patients with less severe depression, no prior history of self-harm, and who have not consumed alcohol with the overdose. Extended therapy may be indicated for those with more severe depression.

This paper presents data from a sample of 21 pilot cases and six control cases arising from an ongoing project evaluating cognitive-behavioural therapy in two-plus-one sessions within an NHS clinical psychology department. The major issue addressed concerns the general effectiveness of the two-plus-one-model as an ethical intervention model within a service delivery system. It is concluded that the data provide ethical and clinical support for a major field study as well as indicating provisional support for the implementation of this service delivery model in NHS settings in pursuance of more cost-effective models of psychological interventions to selected clients.

Seven counsellors were interviewed about their experiences of learning and applying a new approach to therapy: the psychodynamic‐interpersonal model. These interviews were analysed using grounded theory — a qualitative approach. Under the core category of ‘changing counselling practice: applying the PI model of therapy’, the material was organised into 10 major categories: difficult feelings; new awareness; therapeutic identity; identifying reasons for choosing how to work; experiencing difficulties in adherence; attributing causes of difficulties; ways through the difficulties; understanding how change in practice occurs; changing interventions; and specific other inputs. Examples from the interviews are used to cast light on the difficulties experienced by counsellors in the process of changing their practice.