Premature Termination in Psychotherapy: Strategies for Engaging Clients and Improving Outcomes

As many as one in five psychotherapy clients drop out of treatment before they have made meaningful progress. Even experienced therapists cannot promote positive change in clients who don’t complete the full course of treatment.

This book presents eight evidence-based strategies for preventing premature termination. These strategies help therapists:

•Establish the ground rules and orient the client to the role of both therapist and client

•Openly discuss termination

•Work with clients’ preferences, and

•Educate clients about how change occurs

Additional strategies are described to strengthen clients’ hope and motivation and evaluate progress throughout the course of therapy.