Predicting premature termination from counseling using the Butcher Treatment Planning Inventory

This investigation examined the extent to which premature termination from counseling could be predicted from selected scales on the Butcher Treatment Planning Inventory (BTPI). Ninety-five new clients at a university counseling center agreed to participate in the study and completed the BTPI as part of the intake evaluation. Premature termination occurred when a participant missed a scheduled appointment and unilaterally dropped out of counseling. Higher scores on Closed-Mindedness, Problems in Relationship Formation, Somatization of Conflict, Self-Oriented/Narcissism, Perceived Lack of Environmental Support, and the Treatment Difficulty Composite were associated with premature termination. The General Pathology Composite, a general index of symptomatic distress, also enhanced the prediction of premature termination by suppressing irrelevant variance in other BTPI scales. The results provide support for the validity of the BTPI in identifying clients at risk for premature termination from counseling.