Overview
It is common and appropriate to choose to end the relationship with your therapist. This happens for a variety of reasons, and it can feel uncomfortable.
With a growing list of therapeutic approaches available for care, it’s normal to not find the right fit for the care you need on the first try. Although ending the relationship with your therapist can be intimidating, it’s important to remember to prioritize your needs, and that your therapist is a professional who recognizes that not all therapy relationships will last.
Common Reasons for Ending Sessions
There are a variety of reasons why you may end sessions with your provider:
- If you want to try a new/different type of therapy
- If you’d prefer to work with a therapist who shares your race, gender identity, faith, and sexual orientation as this can provide a deeper sense of understanding and comfort during sessions
- If you’ve achieved the goals you had when beginning therapy and are ready to stop sessions.
- If you need to take a step back from therapy so you have additional time to focus on other life priorities. In this case, talk to your therapist about if/when you plan to return to sessions.
- If you need to take a break to support your emotional wellbeing. Therapy can be challenging, and it’s common to need a break. In this case, talk to your therapist about if/when you plan to return to sessions.
How to End Sessions with a Provider
If you need to end sessions with your provider, it is best to have an open, honest conversation about your reason(s) for pausing/ending sessions, and to develop a plan with your therapist about how to move forward, including re-engaging in therapy in the future should you choose to do so.
It is recommended that you have this conversation at the beginning of your session, to allow you and your therapist to have adequate time to explore your thoughts and feelings, and to make a plan. If you don’t feel comfortable having a face-to-face conversation with your provider, you may prefer to call or email your provider to explain when you plan to end or pause sessions and why.
In either case, if you are ending sessions to seek a different therapeutic modality, you may even ask them for a referral to another trusted therapist who offers that service.
Whenever possible, avoid ceasing all communication with your provider or “ghosting.” Since ending a therapeutic relationship is common and normal, your provider should create a safe space for you to communicate with them about your decision to terminate sessions.
Completing Outstanding Payments
If you have been paying your session invoices through Alma, you can find all outstanding invoices by searching ‘Alma’ in your email inbox, and clicking the link to any invoice. This will open a window that shows any outstanding invoices.
If you have been paying your session invoices outside of Alma, ask your provider about any outstanding invoices during your conversation about ending sessions.
How do I find a new provider?
To find a new provider who meets your needs, we recommend starting with the Alma directory.
Now that you are more familiar with what works or doesn’t work for you when seeking care, you can make a more informed decision about requesting consultations with new providers.
When communicating with new providers, you may choose to let them know the reasons you ended a relationship with your previous provider. You can ask about their approach and how it varies to determine if you’d like to begin sessions with them.
Conduct your own research on various therapeutic modalities to figure out what may be the best fit for your care. You can find brief definitions of some of the most common therapeutic modalities below from the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Common Therapeutic Modalities:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)
- Exposure Therapy
- Interpersonal Therapy
- Psychodynamic Psychotherapy