Therapy is a valuable resource for individuals seeking mental and behavioral health support. Despite the rise in mental health acceptance and the public often recommending therapy, most people believe therapy is for other people. Even when people do start therapy, it’s not uncommon for people to discontinue therapy prematurely, often due to various reasons. This blog post explores some of the primary factors contributing to therapy discontinuation while highlighting strategies mental and behavioral health providers can employ to prevent this from happening.
1. Limited Engagement and Lack of Progress
One of the leading causes for halting therapy is a sense of limited engagement and lack of progress. Clients may feel that the therapy sessions are not addressing their concerns adequately or that the therapeutic approach is not aligning with their needs. Clients will complain that they’re just paying a professional to talk – without seeing any improvements. Some people expect an “ah ha!” moment, or a huge breakthrough when therapy is more incremental.
Mental and behavioral health providers can prevent this by actively involving clients in their treatment plans, regularly assessing progress, and making adjustments when necessary. Open and ongoing discussions about goals, preferences, and concerns can enhance client engagement, leading to increased commitment and better treatment outcomes. While not every client will have specific goals, it’s worth checking with them if they’re trying to get something specific out of their sessions – and whether it’s feasible.
2. Cost and Accessibility
Financial constraints and limited accessibility to therapy services are major barriers that prevent individuals from continuing therapy. High session fees, lack of insurance coverage, or limited availability of affordable options can hinder a person’s ability to access ongoing mental and behavioral health support. Some people don’t want to miss work or change their schedule to attend therapy.
Providers can help by offering flexible payment plans, sliding scales, or information about free or low-cost community resources. Additionally, teletherapy and online counseling platforms can increase accessibility, particularly for those with geographical limitations or transportation issues.
3. Lack of Connection and Cultural Competence
Establishing a strong therapeutic alliance is critical for engaging clients in the therapy process. People may discontinue therapy if they feel a lack of connection or rapport with their mental and behavioral health provider. Additionally, a provider’s cultural competence plays a vital role in ensuring comprehensive care for clients from diverse backgrounds. For example, a black person may feel that a white therapist won’t understand the stress they experience because of racism.
Mental and behavioral health providers can prevent discontinuation by actively listening, showing empathy, and respecting their clients’ cultural values and beliefs. Seeking ongoing education and training regarding cultural diversity can help mental health professionals improve their effectiveness and reduce potential biases. If you have staff, hiring people from different demographics who can speak different languages is worth hiring.
4. Stigma and Misperceptions
Despite efforts to reduce mental health stigma, it remains a significant barrier to continuing therapy. Some individuals may discontinue therapy due to worries about being labeled, judged, or misunderstood by others. Therapy can put clients into an extremely vulnerable mental state, and they may feel judged by their provider. It may also be that a client feels that they went “too deep” and that therapy feels painful or hard. Therapists can sometimes bring clients to realize things that require considerable amounts of emotional processing, which they may be unable to do.
Therapists can address this by creating safe and non-judgmental environments within their practices. Educating clients and the community about the benefits of therapy, dispelling misconceptions, and highlighting success stories can help destigmatize mental health and encourage individuals to continue their treatment.
5. Inflexibility and Burnout
Inflexibility in scheduling appointments and limited availability during evenings or weekends can pose challenges for individuals with busy lives. Additionally, therapists who do not practice self-care and experience burnout may unintentionally contribute to therapy discontinuation.
Providers should strive to offer flexible appointment options, including outside regular business hours, to accommodate diverse schedules. For example, if you find yourself with consistent no-shows at 9 am or have holes in your schedule, that may be time to schedule a break or finish up documentation. Furthermore, self-care practices and professional support are crucial for therapists to maintain their well-being, ensuring they remain effective and motivated in their roles.
Additional Tips
Therapy, after all, starts with open and clear communication. It may be worth asking a client why they stopped doing therapy. Of course, you’re not guaranteed to get an answer, but if you do, this might be helpful feedback. Ask colleagues: in their experience, why do clients stop therapy? Have they ever convinced clients to go back? Would they do anything differently?
It might also be worth seeking out groups of people like panels or community outreach and discussing why they’re attending -or not attending- therapy, what makes them stay or quit, and what you could do to entice them to begin or continue treatment.
Providers should strive to offer flexible appointment options, including outside regular business hours, to accommodate diverse schedules. For example, if you find yourself with consistent no-shows at 9 am or have holes in your schedule, that may be time to schedule a break or finish up documentation. Furthermore, self-care practices and professional support are crucial for therapists to maintain their well-being, ensuring they remain effective and motivated in their roles.
Understanding the various reasons people may discontinue therapy lays the groundwork for developing preventative strategies. By working with clients and establishing strategies, mental and behavioral health providers can foster environments conducive to ongoing therapy. Therapists can help individuals overcome barriers, improve treatment outcomes, and ultimately enhance the overall well-being of their clients.
It might also be worth seeking out groups of people like panels or community outreach and discussing why they’re attending -or not attending- therapy, what makes them stay or quit, and what you could do to entice them to begin or continue treatment.
Providers should strive to offer flexible appointment options, including outside regular business hours, to accommodate diverse schedules. For example, if you find yourself with consistent no-shows at 9 am or have holes in your schedule, that may be time to schedule a break or finish up documentation. Furthermore, self-care practices and professional support are crucial for therapists to maintain their well-being, ensuring they remain effective and motivated in their roles.
TheraNest can’t convince your clients to stay in therapy, but we can help you reach out with engagement tools like our HIPAA-compliant patient portal and secure messaging. We’ll also give you time-saving tools that can help you spend less time on paperwork and more time helping clients. See for yourself. Start your free 21-day trial, no credit card required.
