Goals.of Therapy: Ending With a Therapist

 

After reaching your goals.of therapy, you may consider ending your therapy relationship at the right time and with the right attention. A smooth transition that complies with the highest standards might produce the greatest overall efficacy, even though some patients might choose to discontinue treatment early.

Psychotherapy’s effectiveness depends on many evidence-based factors, including a patient’s motivation, a therapist’s interpersonal skills, and their therapeutic alliance. The way a patient’s treatment ends can have a significant effect on how well they do going forward.

Even though they occur infrequently, the final sessions of therapy provide a unique opportunity to connect with patients about what their goals.of therapy were. Psychotherapy can be terminated in a manner that preserves patients’ well-being and encourages their continued development, even after treatment has concluded.

When all your therapy goals are met, learn how to end therapy here.

 

Is It Time to End Therapy?

Unlike our usual interactions, we expect therapy to end. The client may lose attachment to the therapist, and thus they feel their progress. A sudden termination may leave the therapist and client with unresolved issues and negative emotions like anxiety, sadness, and anger. 

Termination can be healthy, worthwhile, and successful if the client likes therapy and its end. Practitioners frequently admit to feeling proud and having rediscovered faith in the therapeutic process.

Before starting termination, the therapist should assess the client’s need for ongoing therapy. Once the relationship’s goals have been reached, it should, whenever possible, move into its final phase. In practice, however, it occurs on rare occasions when the working window has closed, insurance coverage has expired, or the client no longer wishes to proceed. 

 

Therapy Phases

The following four phases, which sum up early and ongoing planning, lessen the negative feeling of ending your goals.of therapy.

 

• Limitations

The expected length of therapy can be made clear depending on what the client wants. Clients need to be informed that there may be restrictions due to time constraints, client insurance, or other issues if it is to be open-ended based simply on the progress achieved during sessions. Full information is needed for the client to make an informed decision and benefit from therapy. 

 

• Determining Therapy Success

Ideally, by the end of therapy, all treatment goals will have been met. To accomplish this, the therapist and client must agree on the therapy’s goal. Early goal-setting determines the nature, focus, and scope of the treatment journey and its planned duration, even if circumstances change them.

 

• Be Aware of Possible Interruptions

Even when they do not want to, therapists may end therapy. In some cases, the patient does not benefit from treatment, or a new or unrecognized romantic, professional, or financial relationship raises ethical concerns. Another reason could be safety, especially if the therapist has received threats or feels in danger, or illness, retirement, a change in home circumstances, or death. The client may be concerned about finances, the therapist, therapy direction, illness, or relocation. 

 

• Planning for Termination

Endings are common. Instead, plan for it and work together to succeed. As with any phase, treatment termination is similar. It must assist the client in becoming ready to expand on what they have learned and continue successfully.

 

Methods for Ending Therapy

Make plans with your therapist to end treatment as part of your next stage of life, even if it is not soon.

There is no hard and fast rule. If you go to therapy once a week, you might want to cut back on how often you go over time. For example, you could go from once a week to twice a month, and then to once a month until you stop. 

Consider the therapy relationship’s strengths and how it changed over time, as well as goals achieved. Discuss how you can apply lessons from previous sessions to solve problems and advance.

 

Activities for Your Last Sessions

Exercises and activities can help patients and therapists prepare for the end of therapy and the final session. Each of the following exercises may be customized and utilized in telehealth sessions.

 

Therapy termination letters

When treatment is over, it might be beneficial for the client to send the therapist a letter reminding both of them of the journey and accomplishments. Writing a letter to the therapist might help a patient have a good sense of closure. This structure may be advantageous, particularly for kids.

 

Five-Second Game

All benefit from this entertaining exercise.

For instance, the therapist might create a deck of cards with one lesson on each card:

• List three unfavorable emotions
• List three uplifting emotions
• Name three coping mechanisms for stress, anger, etc. 
• Name three people you can rely on

The client chooses one instruction, and they are given five seconds to answer (this can also be done in a couples or family session). The client selects a number during an online or video session, and the therapist reads the card that goes with it.

 

Final Words

The complete therapeutic procedure depends on a successful treatment conclusion. Termination should be acknowledged as a crucial step in the therapeutic process that may trigger feelings in the client and the therapist. Termination that considers the ethical and therapeutic ramifications will be a beneficial stage of therapy if it is controlled and planned from the beginning.

In the first session, decide on the objectives and how the therapy will end. Regularly evaluate your progress toward your targeted results, and start preparing early for when treatment will cease.

 

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexible. Multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically-trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) that has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists help all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do.