Premature termination of group therapy: a clinical perspective

Premature terminations are an inevitable if complex aspect of any therapy group, as they are of life. They can be destructive to the life of a group, and damaging to its members. It is possible, however, given proper preparation and thoughtful reflection, to make such premature endings effective. And sometimes, understanding the wish to leave may change potentially premature endings into turning points in a continuing therapy. I use two clinical events to illustrate these processes. Premature terminations are described as part of a continuum of endings that include dropouts, early endings, and good-enough terminations.