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.