Cian Brown

Single‐case research designs (SCRDs) are a vital tool for researchers and practitioners in counseling to evaluate intervention and treatment effectiveness. This content analysis reviews the application of SCRDs in counseling to highlight knowledge accrued and existing gaps in the literature. We evaluated the methodological design and reporting adherence against recommended guidelines to provide guidance for future research. We included 50 SCRDs published between 2015 and 2021 across 15 journals (42 reviewed). Content results showed several trends, strengths, and areas of improvement in counseling SCRDs. No studies completely met the What Works Clearinghouse (2022) design standards or Single‐Case Reporting Guideline in Behavioural Interventions (SCRIBE) reporting standards, yet several indicators had high levels of adherence. We discuss how the experimental design process can be enhanced to improve the internal validity, ways to improve transparency in reporting SCRD results, and the importance of contextualizing SCRD methodology to the counseling field.

The authors implemented an A–B–A with follow‐up quasi‐experimental single‐case research design to assess the effectiveness of a consumer‐grade neurofeedback (NFB)‐assisted mindfulness‐based intervention (MBI) for reducing anxiety in high‐achieving high school students ( N = 5). Three of the participants from racial/ethnic minority and lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds reported reduced anxiety as measured by the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory for Youth (STAI‐Y) during the intervention. In contrast, the two participants who identified as White, higher SES did not report decreased anxiety during the intervention. Results provide initial support for the use of the NFB‐assisted MBI used in this study as a brief, targeted intervention for highly anxious, high‐achieving high school students—specifically those from racial/ethnic minority and lower SES backgrounds. Implications for practice and research are discussed.