Patients' Experiences of Non-Mutual Psychotherapy Termination: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Aim: This study aimed to explore patients' reasons and experiences regarding the non-mutual termination of their psychotherapy (i.e., either the patient or the therapist did not agree to terminate the therapy). Methods: Participants who had experienced psychotherapy were recruited via social media (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn) by posting a participation invitation on the personal profiles of the researchers. If interested, participants responded to an online self-report survey, writing about their experiences, including the reasons for termination, related emotions or thoughts, whether they would make the same choice again, and what they would say to their therapists in an imagined conversation. Then, a conventional content analysis was conducted to create categories for each theme/question. Results: The study included 63 females (79.70%) and 16 males (20.30%). The average age was 29.62 years (SD = 9.00), with a range of 21–63 years. Considering the results, the motivations for the termination were attributed to relationship dynamics, therapists' behaviours, the mismatch between therapy and patients' needs, feeling ready, and economic-structural aspects. Emotionally, patients experienced negative feelings, while a few patients felt satisfied after termination. Many participants wanted to share their progress and express their gratitude to their therapists, continue psychotherapy, and criticise their therapists. Lastly, regarding the decision to terminate therapy, most patients would repeat their choice, while others would not. Conclusion: To conclude, these results can inform therapists about the causes of treatment termination, and help them monitor these factors during therapy to reduce the likelihood of non-mutual termination.