How Will I Know When I’m Done Going To Therapy?

How Will I Know When I’m Done With Therapy?

Knowing when it’s time to end therapy can be challenging. You may need to end therapy on your own timeline because you feel that you’ve reached your goals, aren’t satisfied with your therapist, or want to try a new therapy technique.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) highlights a positive relationship between treatment length and clinical outcomes. Increased treatment time allows for significant changes and makes recovery more likely. The APA also shares that an average therapy duration of 15 to 20 sessions is required for 50% of patients to experience recovery.

How To View the End of Therapy

Once the initial problem has been worked through, many start to wonder if they should continue with treatment.

Everything from your symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment goals will determine when therapy is complete. If you’ve been in therapy a while without any new momentum, there may be some signs you need a break from therapy.

Ending therapy can be a bittersweet experience. If you’re ending therapy because you’ve reached your goals, consider it a chance to put all the skills you’ve learned into action. If you’re ending therapy because you want to find a new therapist, think of it as another leg of your journey to well-being.

Remember that wellness is a lifelong journey. You can always return to therapy as your goals, experiences, and circumstances change.

Signs You May Be Ready To End Therapy

Certain scenarios may indicate that it’s time to either end therapy or switch to a new therapy provider. Ending therapy doesn’t always have to have a negative connotation. Sometimes, it can simply mark a “graduation” in life.

1. You Accomplished the Goals You Set When You Began

After months of robust conversations and breakthroughs, can you suddenly hear “crickets” during recent therapy sessions? If you sought therapy to help with a particular life hurdle, behavioral pattern, or phobia, you can quit when you’re confident you’ve reached your treatment goals. If you’ve reached a plateau and you don’t have anything else to talk about, it could mean that it’s time to end therapy.

Let your therapist know if you feel you’ve maxed out therapy’s benefits. If you’re uneasy about giving up therapy, consider decreasing the frequency of your appointments instead. These maintenance visits can help to reinforce the techniques you’ve learned as you move forward. For example, research out of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and the University at Albany Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics found that maintenance psychotherapy visits help maintain healthy functioning following recovery from depression.

2. You’ve Reached a Plateau

If you’ve spent months in therapy without any progress, it may be time to try a new strategy. Your therapist may need more expertise for your specific issue, or you may not be compatible with certain techniques. For example, you may realize that you need a therapist who specializes in phobias or eating disorders even though you initially required treatment for depression. This doesn’t mean that it’s time to give up on therapy altogether. Finding a new therapist or focusing on a different form of therapy could be beneficial. Your current therapist may be able to offer a referral.

3. You Don’t Have Anything to Talk About

When you started therapy, you may have had a lot going on. As you have worked through those issues, there may come a time when you don’t have anything to talk about. Let your therapist know how you are feeling and that you are struggling to come up with something to talk about. They may ask questions to see if there are other issues to explore, or they may recommend ending sessions if they believe that you have made adequate progress in therapy.

4. You Have Concerns About Your Therapist

This category ranges from “glaring red flags” to a simple mismatch. It’s time to switch therapists if you feel that therapy is wasting your time or potentially harming you. Here are some scenarios where you should consider taking action:

• Your therapist is causing harm or making you uncomfortable: This can include making you feel judged or shamed. They may also be dismissive or act in ways that make you feel emotionally unsafe.
• Your therapist feels “checked out” during sessions: If it feels like your therapist isn’t hearing you, it may be time to look for a professional capable of being present. If your therapist appears distracted, you may not feel like you’re getting the most out of therapy. However, it’s important to know that some therapists intentionally take a blank-slate approach to client interactions as part of their therapeutic approaches. You may not feel safe or connected in a space where a therapist defaults to an impersonal approach to therapy, and a therapist who takes a more personable approach may be a better fit.
• You find yourself lying to your therapist: If your therapist stirs up underlying distrust or guardedness, this could hinder the therapy process.
• You feel that your therapist talks too much: If you feel like your therapist is doing more of the talking than you, this can lead to frustration and resentment over having the little time you have in each session be overshadowed. While some therapists use self-disclosure to build rapport and relate to clients, a therapist talking about their own problems excessively can stall your progress.
• You’re worried that you’re too attached to your therapist: If you feel that you’re unable to function or make decisions without the input of your therapist, you may have developed a dependency. Becoming overly dependent on a therapist can reverse progress. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology found that higher levels of care dependency were correlated with greater symptom severity.

Staying in a therapy scenario that doesn’t work for you can be a waste of time and money. Many people stay in therapy out of fear of offending their therapists. You’re under no obligation to stay with a therapist. A responsible and ethical therapist will understand if you decide to quit. However, you should expect your therapist to ask for feedback on your experience or about your reasons for leaving.

Discussing Termination With Your Therapist: How Do You Quit Therapy?

If you feel like you need a break from therapy, the process is fairly straightforward. It takes as much effort as switching doctors or dentists. First, tell your current therapist about your decision to either end therapy or switch to a new therapist. This can give much-needed closure, and your therapist will appreciate the feedback.

From a practical standpoint, you’ll also need to ask your therapist’s office to transfer your records if you’re going to a new therapist. Depending on your therapist’s policy, they may even send along your process notes. If you and your therapist agree that you would benefit from a different therapy modality, they may be able to refer you to a different practitioner. If you prefer to simply go your own way, you can find a new therapist.

What If I Need To Go Back?

It’s perfectly normal to weave in and out of therapy throughout a lifetime. You may need to resume therapy at some point if old symptoms or issues resurface. As life changes, you may also find that coping mechanisms that were once effective are no longer working. You may also experience new life events or challenges that require new coping skills. When the time comes, you can either return to your former therapist or find a new one.

Parting Is a Sign of Growth

Most people leave therapy with a whole new set of therapeutic tools to help them through life’s challenges. At the end of therapeutic treatment, you should feel better able to cope with the difficult emotions that life throws your way.

Ultimately, while ending therapy can be difficult, it means that you’ve met your treatment goals.