Reasons for therapy termination in a university psychology clinic

    Authors

    K. Renk;T. M. Dinger

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    J. Clin. Psychol.

    Keywords

    psychotherapy; reasons; termination; attrition; TREATMENT DURATION; PATIENT DROPOUT; PSYCHOTHERAPY; DEPRESSION; PREMATURE; CLIENTS; Psychology, Clinical

    Abstract

    This study examined the reasons for therapy termination documented by graduate student therapists. The closed case files of individual adult clients who had terminated their therapy experience at a university-based psychology clinic were reviewed. Results indicated that the most frequent reasons for termination documented by graduate student therapists were that clients stopped attending therapy sessions without providing their therapists with notice or reason and that clients reached a satisfactory termination point in their therapy experience. A substantial number of clients terminated therapy because of difficulties unrelated to therapy, seeking services elsewhere, or dissatisfaction with therapy services. Level of depressive symptomatology and the number of sessions attended differed across clients who had different reasons for termination. By addressing, such client concerns early in the therapy experience, premature termination may be prevented. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Clinical Psychology

    Volume

    58

    Issue/Number

    9

    Publication Date

    1-1-2002

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    1173

    Last Page

    1181

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000177666300015

    ISSN

    0021-9762

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