Go Back Research Article March, 1979

Length of psychotherapy for clients seen in private practice

Author Mary P. Koss

Abstract

Length of treatment for all clients (N = 100) seen for psychotherapy during 1975 by 7 therapists in a private practice psychological clinic was examined to determine the relative frequency of long-term (>25 sessions) vs short-term (≤25 sessions) psychotherapy. Clients were young, middle class, intelligent, and mildly to moderately disturbed. The median length of treatment was 8 sessions. Fully 80% of the clients had left treatment before receiving 25 sessions. This finding mirrors the trend for public treatment settings. Results reaffirm the necessity of further research and development of short-term treatment techniques designed to effectively utilize the brief time even private clients spend in psychotherapy.

Keywords

Psychotherapy Length Private Practice Short-Term Therapy Long-Term Therapy Treatment Duration Therapy Sessions Psychotherapy Trends Client Retention Mental Health Treatment Private Clinic Psychological Services Therapy Effectiveness Treatment Termination Brief Therapy Techniques Client Characteristics Psychotherapy Research Counselor Client Relationship Mental Health Psychotherapy Time
Details
Volume 47
Issue 1
Pages 210–212
DOI 10.1037/0022-006X.47.1.210
ISSN 1939-2117
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