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January 17, 2026BMC PsychologyOpen Access

“The one that got away”- therapists’ experiences when patients suddenly drop out from psychotherapy: a thematic analysis

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Authors

NKNiclas KullgardMBMelinda BörjessonJCJohanna Carlsson

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Overview

Analysis explores therapists’ feelings and challenges with sudden patient dropouts, highlighting emotional impact.

Key Points

  • The study aims to explore how therapists experience sudden dropouts from psychotherapy.
  • Conducted interviews with 12 licensed psychotherapists regarding their experiences with dropouts.
  • Used thematic analysis to identify main themes and subthemes from the interviews.
  • Identified three main themes: understanding the dropout, responding to issues, and processing feelings post-dropout.
  • Highlighted negative emotions associated with dropouts, such as guilt and shame.
  • Noted that dropouts can also bring a sense of relief to therapists.

Cite This Study

Kullgard et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/696b2655d2a12237a9349aa3https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-03958-z
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Dropping out of therapy in context of an RCT: a qualitative analysis2026
  2. 2The why, the how, and the what next: A qualitative investigation of premature termination from psychotherapy2025
  3. 3“You can’t really have a relationship with them because they just ask you questions”: understanding adolescent dropout – an empirical single case study2024 · 2 citations
  4. 4Who will stay and who will go? Identifying risk factors for psychotherapy dropout2024 · 7 citations
  5. 5How do adolescents end open-ended psychoanalytic psychotherapy? Exploring dropout in a community-based clinic2024