An investigation premature termination of counselling at a university student counselling centre

Abstract

This study investigated premature termination of counselling at a University Counselling Centre. Twenty (20) premature terminators reported on their experience of counselling by completing a nailed questionnaire ended items. Six hypotheses were containing open- and close advanced. The following results were obtained: Premature termination is not the result of a negative experience of counselling by the client: nor is premature termination the manifestation of a failed interpersonal relationship between the client and the counsellor; clients who terminate prematurely are likely to seek counselling again at a later stage in their lives; premature terminators will be likely to refer someone for counselling; and premature terminators did not consider their participation in the study as violating counsellor-client confidentiality. Limited support was established for the hypothesis that premature terminators will consider their expectation of counselling as not having been net. Methodological limitations of the study and contextual features of the research setting that nay have impacted on the termination behaviour are discussed.