FAILURE IN PSYCHOTHERAPY

Psychotherapy sometimes ends in failure. When it does, the therapist o ften questions both the theory that guided his or her intervention and the way in which that theory was operationalized. Consultation can of ten help clarify why things have gone wrong and what (if anything) can be done to rectify those problems or to prevent them in the future. T he client can often prove to be a particularly helpful ''consultant''; whether accurate or not, the client's perspective on how treatment is going plays a major role in determining whether he or she will contin ue or derive any benefit.