Client Perspectives of Premature Discontinuation in Couple Therapy

Premature discontinuation, defined as unilateral termination before goal completion against therapist advice, affects approximately 36% of couples who begin therapy. While research often examines factors predicting premature discontinuation, few studies directly ask clients their reasons for stopping. This study explored these reasons by surveying 160 individuals (61% female, 38% male, 1% other; primarily aged 25-44; 92% heterosexual relationships; median income $50-60k) who prematurely discontinued couple therapy without discussing the decision with their therapist. The sample was predominantly White (64%). Results indicated reasons such as discomfort at home and in session during the treatment (69%), external factors (67%) such as financial or scheduling issues, dissatisfaction (59%) with the partner, therapist, or treatment, and perceived improvement without achieving goals of therapy (51%). These findings highlight the importance of therapists understanding these client-reported reasons-beyond therapist shortcomings-to potentially improve therapy retention and service quality.