“Termination” is a word I have not been fond of since the beginning of my master’s program. The connotation of this word makes it seem far more strong and painful than the process must be. In the world of mental health, termination is simply the end of the counseling experience which can happen for a multitude of reasons.
Counselors typically begin the planning for termination at the beginning of a new counseling relationship. Depending on the style of the counselor, this may be a short-term or long-term process. For some clients, this may mean at the end of their designated program they will end the counseling relationship and return to life as normal. For other clients, this may look like a slow tapering-off with sessions. There is no one size fits all in counseling and no two therapists are the same.
Generally speaking, both counselors and clients have the right to terminate the counseling relationship. Counselors will terminate the therapeutic relationship when clients have completed their goals and have achieved a healthy level of functioning. In this case, termination is often a time of celebration for the client’s growth and success. Other times, counselors will terminate early due to the desire to transfer the client to a clinician with more expertise or experience with the client’s presenting issue. Occasionally, counselors will have to terminate due to unresolvable interpersonal issues that do not lend to the growth of the client. However, the last case is quite rare.
Clients enter the counseling relationship with many rights such as confidentiality and the right to terminate. They may choose to end the counseling relationship for a variety of reasons. Some common reasons include moving, a desire to try a new therapeutic approach, or money. Counselors, as a group, tend to be empathic and sensitive people, so we understand that not all counselors are good fits for all clients. Sometimes life happens and it changes a client’s life course.
Termination after the completion of client goals is a planned situation. Termination will be discussed throughout the therapeutic process when appropriate. Our goal as counselors, is to assist in growth and wellness. While some clients require a significantly longer counseling process, we still try to plan for it. In these cases, the ending of the counseling relationship may begin over the course of months to taper off slowly. While for short-term clients, it may be done in one session.
For clients who choose to terminate the counseling relationship early, counselors typically request the opportunity to be informed of the decision and plan a termination session for the client to wrap up. This allows the counselor the chance to acknowledge growth while also assuring the client has additional support if the treatment goals have not yet been met. These sessions can often bring up emotions for clients and counselors alike, but as counselors, it is our responsibility to ensure the well-being of our clients.
The ending of anything can often bring up a variety of feelings and memories. Even counselors who have successfully terminated many clients throughout their careers will still have an emotional response to this change. Counseling is inherently an emotional process, and we build bonds with clients that can sometimes last for years. Clients become accustomed to regular support and may even feel fond of their counselor. The mutual trust and understanding are a hallmark of a solid therapeutic relationship. During the dissolution of this relationship, it is normal for both counselors and clients to experience feelings of pride, grief, sadness, joy, and even abandonment. Feelings are funny that way – people can have many at a time.
I have had several terminations over the years and no two of them have ever been the same. There are former clients that I have big hopes and dreams for, and I think of them often as a reminder of the power of counseling. There have been clients who have left with little more than a canceled appointment. For those clients, I always wish them the best and hope they find what they are seeking. However, there is power in saying goodbye and wrapping up, no matter how hard it can be. Closure is not often something we get in this life, but it is often what clients are seeking by entering counseling.
I oftentimes wonder if a better term for “termination” would have been “graduation,” as that word truly connotes the meaning that counselor utilizes in their everyday practice. If you are considering the counseling journey, I ask you to join your counselor in the termination process as a team. I challenge you to see it as a celebration, the light at the end of the tunnel, and the positive acknowledgment of change and growth.
