"Discovering the depth of the problem might scare a client and cause a desire to terminate. Talking about a problem helps uncover its depth, and sometimes it is deeper than they thought. This discovery is not unusual in therapy. Sometimes the client's first temptation is to stop and end it. "Wow, so I'm that depressed? Better not look into that. I'll just take medications without therapy.""
"Another resistance is haste. Just as clients want to get rid of the symptoms or reasons that have brought them to therapy, naturally many of them think that rushing the process will make it faster. And rushing to end therapy is a part of that. Sometimes we, as clients, might feel like children in the backseat: "Are we there yet? What about now?" Therapy is work, sometimes hard work. It's hard to take it in stride."
Ending therapy often proves difficult because clients may fear the deeper problems that emerge when issues are explored, prompting premature termination. Many clients also rush to eliminate symptoms and mistakenly believe accelerating therapy will help, leading to unilateral dropout. Therapy requires sustained, sometimes difficult work, and having clear expectations and goals reduces hasty termination. Financial, familial, and insurance stigma around long-term supportive therapy create pressure to stop treatment. Therapy can serve as a unique safe space for ongoing emotional support. Being able to explain the need for therapy and imagine goals cuts early dropout roughly by half.
Read at Psychology Today
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