How to respond to a client being dissatisfied with therapy
I met with a client for 3 sessions. They then called reception and cancelled the upcoming 4th session without reason.
I called to follow up and left a voicemail for them.
I suspected that the last session had fell flat hence the cancellation. I generally work with clients long term doing more depth/psychodynamic work and I think the client wanted a more ‘skills based’ behavioural intervention.
Anyway, I emailed asking whether they’d like another session and they replied saying they didn’t feel they benefited from the sessions and that I had seemed very pre-occupied with explaining their feelings when they just wanted help managing anxiety. They explained the dizziness they were experiencing was real and that unlikely to be ‘curable’
The tone of the email was direct, a little cool but not hostile.
How would you respond to this email? I’d be happy to continue working with them and realise I probably need to back off a bit with pressing for feelings/adapting to more ‘skills based’ interventions, at least initially. I want to validate their courage to send the email and raising how they expected the season without being defensive but also not agreeing in full with them.
Any ideas?
Thanks so much
Posted Sep 8, 2026, 11:43 AM UTC · locked