A Consideration of Early Termination in Psychotherapy

She said, “I communicated with the carefulness of handling a sharp knife.”

Abstract

This paper considers the psychological interview process through a university counseling case in which the client discontinued psychotherapy after the third session. The client was gaining insight into their internal experiences, particularly concerning interpersonal relationships. The therapist initiated the intervention by addressing practical issues and gradually shifting focus to the clientʼs emotional experiences. Even though the therapist perceived progress, the sessions were ultimately discontinued. For the client, progressing with self-reflection in line with the therapistʼs expectations was perceived to be similar to the role they had played in their mother-child relationship. Additionally, expressing emotional responses to the therapist before sufficient trust had been established felt intrusive. These outcomes underscore the clinical significance of attending not only to the content of the client ʼ s narratives but also to potential discrepancies within the therapeutic relationship and to the need for responsive adjustments to the clientʼs level of self-reflection.