Clients' perspectives on therapy termination

We used consensual qualitative research to analyze interviews with 12 clients about their termination from psychotherapy. Those who had positive termination experiences reported a strong therapeutic relationship and positive outcomes of therapy. They terminated primarily for logistical or financial reasons; their termination, post-termination plans, and feelings about termination were discussed in advance with their therapist, as was their growth in therapy, leading to mostly positive effects of the termination. In contrast, those who had problematic terminations reported a mixed therapeutic relationship and mixed outcomes of therapy. They usually terminated abruptly because of a therapeutic rupture, and thus termination was rarely planned and discussed in advance, rendering it a negative experience. Implications of these findings are addressed.