Posted by Dr. Bob on February 25, 2004, at 2:31:51
In reply to Erica Schmidt - termination, posted by shortelise on February 23, 2004, at 13:15:19
Termination is a process, and it varies considerably from person to person. It usually begins with some awareness that you've achieved important goals of therapy and are feeling more able to handle things. This confidence can be considered and explored, people often go back and forth a lot between feeling better and more confident and competent to feeling less able and more needy. But overall, the movement is in a forward direction and optimally both therapist and client are in basic agreement about it. In the course of termination, there is often a review of what's been accomplished and what hasn't as well, many of the old feelings may be revived, usually in shorter and less intense forms, and old anxieties and fears surface as well. Re-examining these with an eye toward ending therapy can be very reinforcing of achievements. With termination, there are many and varied feelings -- positive ones about the achievements of therapy, the hard work that has paid off, the new opportunities one has because of increased personal freedom and strength; and there are negative feelings as well, about what therapy has not been able to provide, about the lost opportunities, sadness at leaving such an important relationship.
Erika Schmidt, LCSW
poster:Dr. Bob
thread:316860
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040218/msgs/317418.html