Counseling on Campus: Client Persistence and Progress

Two related studies addressed college students' persistence and progress in psychotherapy. In Study 1, using emotional health variables assessed at intake, students who persisted in counseling and demonstrated clinical improvement were compared with those who either did not return for their first session or who did return but stopped before improvement. Findings showed that those counseling completers, compared with the other two groups, reported at intake significantly higher levels of confidence that therapy will help, degree of well-being, and levels of life functioning. Study 2, focusing on students who received at least eight counseling sessions, found improvement on variables reflecting distress and life functioning, with students who rated themselves highly distressed at intake reporting the most benefit. The findings suggest approaches to improve realistic expectations for and engagement in counseling.