Family members or caregivers can also be involved in the process (with client consent), adding their own flowers to the lei. Formally, ending therapy is called termination.. Terminating a Counseling Relationship - Psychology Today Why can't we be friends? - Counseling Today Sometimes termination is final, meaning that the client would not be allowed to return for counseling services. It is also important to keep the activity strengths-based (as is the case with any termination activity). As Counselors, we have learned when the counseling relationship does not feel right. Ambivalence is a nearly universal reaction to change. This will be done to some extent when you and your clients discuss terminating your relationship, but offering an opportunity for clients to express things concretely on paper for you both to keep can be a good way to summarize the experience for you both. Failing to establish objectives, rules, and structure at the outset. Terminating Counseling Relationship Paper - 627 Words | Bartleby Assuming such a tone as a counselor assists clients in developing a future-focused orientation. Offer a referral to a therapist who might be a better fit. She has published a number of journal articles on counseling termination and further addresses the topic in her textbooks, Counseling Children and Adolescents and Treating Those With Mental Disorders. The word termination conjures up brutal images of loss. 5) The impact of the post-therapy relationship . Another effective approach is working together with younger clients to create a memory book with pictures, words, stickers and decorations that will help them remember their time in counseling in a more concrete manner. For children with ADHD, playing with others can be frustrating but also highly beneficial. Talk about personal growth as an ongoing process and give the client guidelines for when it might be appropriate to return to therapy. A person who is in need of counseling services should not have time be factored into theirshow more content Not all reasons to seek a counselor or therapist are so clear cut. Some seasons leave barren branches, whereas other seasons are rife with leaves and buds. Termination can also help model healthy boundaries and a natural and appropriate end to a relationship. All therapy comes to an end, and unfortunately, most clients and . Some of the things that group leaders can do to increase the chances of ending a group successfully include: To increase the likelihood of successful termination with your clients, take heed of the following suggestions: As counselors-in-training, you are in the unique position to be able to utilize your site supervisors and on-campus supervisors and professors as resources when dealing with the issues surrounding termination. Making oneself available should the need for individual counseling or consultation with group members arise. For example, if a client who entered therapy with a particular problemsuch as depressionbegins to present with new issues (such as substance abuse or sexual assault) that are beyond the therapists expertise, the therapist may determine that termination and referral are in the clients best interest. For example, an Asian client is far less likely to exhibit anger and separation anxiety at termination than a client of European origin might be. Discuss the therapeutic processboth what went well in therapy and what could have been better. Be willing to answer questions about therapy termination, such as where a client can seek additional help if necessary. The counselor should make reasonable efforts to conduct a verbal (in person or via phone) follow-up session, within the first 60 days of no client contact. Here are some helpful guidelines for effectively moving your clients toward termination: It is important to remind you that not all clients will exhibit the emotions outlined as typical. You must understand your clients reactions to termination in relation to their overall experience in the counseling relationship, taking care to acknowledge cultural and historical influences. The end of the therapeutic relationship can occur for many reasons. What, if anything, will you miss about your time with (your name here)? Issues to consider when changing jobs and terminating client But cut and run is never the best termination strategy; it both denies the client the opportunity to process any feelings associated with ending the relationship and may leave the therapist unsure why a client left and whether they plan to return. If a client later claims you abandoned them, the termination letter may offer some protection. Allowing time for constructive feedback from group members. National strategy to address the mental health crisis, Expanding the conversation on international perspectives and practice in counseling, Voice of Experience: Building a career path, Building rapport with clients experiencing psychosis, Fast-food frenzy: Treating emotional eating. Being aware that termination is a two-way street that affects the counselor-client dyad allows counselors to more effectively understand, and thus cope with, the emotions and thoughts that ending a therapeutic relationship may stir up. Given that these virtues are basic human needs, it makes sense that clients may be reluctant to end the counseling relationship. As counselors, we invest much time, emotional and intellectual energy, and dedication to helping our clients. Seth J. Gillihan PhD on February 21, 2023 in Think, Act, Be. Rather than viewing this as a counseling failure, counselors should remember that, like counseling itself, termination is not linear. When a client repeatedly no-shows, a therapist loses time they could spend with other clients. Clients can be encouraged to include various objects in the box that they find important and valuable to the counseling process (e.g., a grounding stone, a worksheet with coping skills, a journal). However, as Masters students, you will learn during your Practicum experience that it is relatively unlikely that you will have been able to work through all of the stages of counseling with your clients during the span of one semester, especially when you may only be at your site one or two days a week. July/August 2009. 2) Which party initiated post-therapy contact. By Victoria Kress and Marissa Marie October 2, 2019. Clients may worry that termination is their fault or may fear leaving therapy means they will no longer have support. Is Online Therapy Cheaper Than In-Person Therapy? Although termination is an often neglected concept in the counseling literature, it is supremely important. If the client will not come to therapy sessions, send them a termination notice using their preferred method of communicationsuch as email or U.S. mailand ideally, via several communication channels. They can be either simple or complex, depending on the clients developmental abilities. In such cases, it is important for counselors to work to become comfortable with that feeling of not knowing. It may not be for some time that a client himself realizes if and how a counselor has been of help. When a client achieves their goals, it may be appropriate to transition them to a new therapist or to terminate therapy altogether. In these instances, counselors must make processing their emotions around termination a priority. How we say goodbye: Research on psychotherapy termination. Termination can be an awkward, emotional, or even painful process, even when a client is satisfied with the progress they've made and is making a conscious choice to move on. Aloha lei (hello-goodbye) activity: Counselors can explain to clients that the word aloha means both hello and goodbye. If you and your client are not limited to a certain number of sessions, you have the option of spacing out your last few meetings. Kramer (1990) clearly articulates this when he writes: The therapist must be clear from the first contact, unless there are mitigating circumstances, that the intent of treatment is to help the (client) function without the therapist. As a counselor, you are ethically bound to communicate to your client how long you will be available to counsel them, to discuss openly the timeline of your relationship, and to make appropriate referrals or recommendations at the conclusion of your relationship. They can keep this marble with them to serve as a reminder that someone thinks of them that way and as a reminder of their positive relationship with you and the progress they made. When terminating because you believe they are a danger to you or someone else, and you are therefore unwilling to meet with them in person. . If a client is unsure why a therapist is ending therapy, they should ask; in most cases, a good therapist will be able to provide a direct answer to this question and help the client work through any feelings of abandonment. What do you like about coming in to talk with (your name here)? Counsellors should ensure that following termination of practice client records are secured long enough to meet these obligations and that they are accessible to clients for treatment, legal, or personal needs.