How does therapy end?

Author: Damion Okuneva  |  Last update: Sunday, July 13, 2025

In most cases, the client will choose to end therapy; there are also situations in which a therapist decides to end sessions and refer a client elsewhere. Formally, ending therapy is called “termination.”

What happens at the end of therapy?

Termination sessions often include reviewing the client's treatment and the progress they have made over time, as well as how they will use the skills and insight they learned going forward.

What is the final stage of therapy?

Sometimes an impulse to end therapy reflects a patient's fear of exploring a sensitive issue. One way to avoid this pitfall is to implement a termination phase, with an appropriate end date, during which the patient and the therapist together determine if the desire to end therapy is, in fact, avoidant behavior.

What is the closing phase of therapy?

The termination phase was defined as, “the last phase of counseling, during which the therapist and client consciously or unconsciously work toward bringing the treatment to an end” (Gelso & Woodhouse, 2002, pp. 346).

What is the 2 year rule for therapists?

The APA Code, Standard 10.08(a), states: "Psychologists do not engage in sexual intimacies with former clients/patients for at least two years after cessation or termination of therapy.” This is the first part of the 2-year rule.

How to End Therapy with Your Clients

Is 3 years of therapy too much?

People come to therapy to alleviate a disorder or symptoms and treatment lasts as long as those unpleasant symptoms exist, from a few weeks to a few years. If you are symptom-free and that's all you wanted out of therapy, you're all done.

Can you make 200000 as a therapist?

For example, a therapist could choose to earn $200k annually while seeing forty clients each week and taking two weeks of vacation each year.

Why do therapists terminate clients?

Therapists typically terminate when the patient can no longer pay for services, when the therapist determines that the patient's problem is beyond the therapist's scope of competence or scope of license, when the therapist determines that the patient is not benefiting from the treatment, when the course of treatment ...

What is the final stage of counseling?

Termination is the term most commonly used to describe the process of finalizing or ending a counseling experience. Yet that word conjures up images of abrupt endings or even death, so we wish that a better phrase could be identified to describe counseling endings and transitions.

How do you know if a client is stuck in therapy?

“A stuck client keeps coming to every session the same without moving the needle toward their goals and continuing the same patterns without improving at all,” says therapist and practice owner Abby Gagerman.

What is client abandonment?

When clinicians leave a caseload without coverage by an appropriately qualified professional, it is called client abandonment.

What is the last stage of mental health?

The Fourth Stage: Severe Symptoms

The fourth, and often final stage of mental illness is the most severe. This stage occurs when an individual's mental illness becomes life-threatening. It is during this stage that self-harm becomes the most likely.

How long do patients stay in therapy?

The length of therapy is quite variable, and the final decision regarding the length of therapy rests jointly with the patient and therapist. Some patients stay for as short a time as two or three sessions, while others are in therapy for two or three years or more as they continue to pursue goals and practice skills.

What makes a good ending in therapy?

A mutually agreed ending is better than one which is forced, premature or unilateral. You might want to challenge a client's wish to end, or conversely, their reluctance to end, but ultimately it is the client's decision which you must respect (principle of Autonomy).

How do you know when therapy is done?

You feel like you can manage your symptoms on your own

Maybe you've mastered new skills and techniques, and don't need as much support from your therapist anymore. If you feel like you have the hang of managing your own symptoms, and are closing in on your goals, you could be ready to take a break from therapy.

Can you be friends with your therapist after therapy ends?

Actually—unfortunately—it would be an issue. There are many reasons that being friends with your therapist is a bad idea, even after therapy is over. Many therapists have a saying: “Once a client, always a client.” That means two things: one, they'll always see and know you in a certain way.

How do therapists end therapy?

Focus on and emphasize the gains and progress the client has made. Help the client recognize the positive changes. Express pride in the new skills learned and strategies achieved. Acknowledge enjoyment in working together, and express some of the therapist's feelings about ending the relationship.

What is the final psychological stage?

The final psychosocial stage occurs during old age and is focused on reflecting back on life.2 At this point in development, people look back on the events of their lives and determine if they are happy with the life that they lived or if they regret the things they did or didn't do.

What is the final stage?

Definitions of final stage. the concluding parts of an event or occurrence. synonyms: end, last.

How might a client feel at the end of therapy?

For example, a client might feel that they were abandoned, or that the therapy stretched on longer than they needed it to. Self-awareness is the key to avoiding such problems.

What do therapists notice about their clients?

* When discussing emotionally charged topics I notice when a client's breathing pattern changes, eyes are teary or glassy, their skin tone changes, etc. * I notice whether they are leaning towards me or away from me, how their body position changes throughout the session, or at particular points.

Can your therapist stop seeing you?

In keeping with Standard 10.10, Terminating Therapy (APA, 2010), the psychotherapist may initiate termination because she or he no longer possesses the necessary competence to be able to assist the client (either due to the client's changing treatment needs or due to problems of professional competence relevant to ...

What is the highest paid type of therapist?

Top 5 Highest-Paying Psychology Careers
  • Industrial-Organizational Psychologist. Salary: $113,320. ...
  • Clinical and Counseling Psychologists. Salary: $139,160. ...
  • Forensic Psychologist. Salary: $74,805. ...
  • Substance Abuse Counselor. Salary: $53,710. ...
  • Sport Psychologist. Salary: $102,000. ...
  • Military Psychologist. Salary: $104,303. ...
  • Psychiatrist.

What is the 70 30 split private practice?

The 70 refers to 70% of the revenue being received by the therapists or healthcare practitioners and the other 30% is received by the practice or owner. The 70/30 split private practice is one of several compensation models employed by group practices where the practice keeps a percentage of the charged fee.

Can you work with 2 therapists?

Patients might seek dual therapy to address diverse mental health issues that require different specialties. For example, one therapist may focus on trauma while another provides general support. Effective communication between the therapists is critical to avoid conflicting treatment plans and ensure cohesive care.

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