“Almost There”...Why Clients Fail to Engage in Family Therapy: An Exploratory Study

Keywords

Marital and family therapy, Client non-engagement, Client dropout, Client recruitment, Mental health service

Abstract

A great deal of clinical research has sought to describe and suggest remedies for the client dropout phenomenon. However, few studies have addressed the equally pervasive, yet often ignored, non-engagement problem. An exploratory study was conducted to understand why many clients fail to engage in family therapy services after they have completed the initial intake. The results of the study suggest that therapist gender and experience level, clinic policies regarding videotaping sessions, family concerns, and changes in the presenting problem prior to the first session, had an impact on potential clients’ decision to engage in therapy. Implications and future research are discussed.

Original Publication Citation

Wang, M.*, Sandberg, J.*, Zavada, A., Mittal, M., Gosling, A., Rosenberg, T., Jeffrey, A., & McPheters, J. (2006). “Almost there”…why clients fail to engage in family therapy: An exploratory study. Contemporary Family Therapy, 28, 211-224. (*co-first authors)3

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2006-6

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/5284

Publisher

Contemporary Family Therapy

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Family Life

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

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