How and When to Break Up With Your Therapist

How do you know if you are ready to end therapy? And how do you tell your therapist?

Ending therapy can feel like a break-up. It comes with guilt or uncomfortable feelings about saying goodbye. So in today's video we talk about how and when to break up with your therapist and what to ask for/how to prepare.

Always cheering for you,
Deniss

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**Content on this channel is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical/clinical advice, diagnosis, and/or treatment. Information shared is for educational purposes only. It is not therapy. Never disregard professional medical/ clinical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read or seen on this channel. If you think you may need emergency medical assistance please call your doctor, go to the emergency room, and/or call 911 immediately. If you are a current or past client, you are free to subscribe. Please note that I will not engage with you via messages, comments due to ethical boundaries. You are welcome to leave comments but keep in mind that if you choose to do so, I am unable to protect your confidentiality on this platform.
Please be advised that none of my posts are directed to any one client and should not be interpreted as such. Videos are meant to address the overall human experience which may also relate to your unique circumstances. If you have thoughts about any content shared, this can be discussed during therapy sessions or via email. **

[dwaynediah]

Im go through this right now
I will naver open up ever again mental health keep it to myself

[sanpedrana]

I am a little anxious about going into therapy today to break up with my therapist. I have been feeling alright for a long time, but embarrassed to tell her that I don’t want to keep talking and talking about the same things. Plus, I feel less anxious and I feel I have make a lot of progress and brought attention to myself for the first time in my life. And, it has been thanks to her. But, right now, I finta have much to talk about anymore 😕

[spockthevulcan]

I'm quitting therapy because after 12 years I've finally accepted that there is ZERO cognative therapy that will help my diagnosis of Bipolar 2 - ADHD with RSD and Anxiety. Even my medications don't seem to help except the benzodiazapine allows me to function...the trade-off, I'm physically dependant on it for life. Anyway I just cancelled my appointment and said I'd call back to rescedule, it's not a lie, if I want to go back I'll call her.

[SGKUser]

I am here because I feel very uncomfortable to end a therapeutic relationship lasting for 6 years and I have personal reasons to break up with the person.

[lulu]

i’ve had sessions with my therapist for about 6 years. she’s helped immensely in overcoming a lot of my anxiety and trauma, even achieving a level of self assurance i never thought possible. that means, however, that most of my sessions have been just recalling my week and letting her in on little things that i was bothered by, but was able to tackle because of all the work we’ve done. i know it’s time to “break up” but i’m just a little awkward ( and honestly a tad sad) about having to tell her i’m ready to stop

[laurachandler]

Terminating therapy is not the same thing as "breaking up" with your partner or best friend. Your therapist does see things differently than you. Your therapist is not your friend. Your relationship with your therapists is purely business. Your therapist is getting paid to provide a service to you. Your therapist could care less if you did terminate therapy, because your therapist will replace your time slot with another patient.

[EddixBacn]

seen my therapist for three weeks and it went nowhere. i still wake up and have to deal with me. it is a waste of time talking to someone. i might as well get a dog because its the same thing

[jamietiller]

I'm here because my therapist keeps falling asleep and spacing out during sessions. I definitely still need it but not from someone who sleeps or doesn't pay attention for 1/4th of the session. My biggest struggle is that she always wants to schedule months and months ahead of time, (up to 4 months sometimes, and weekly, and with a very expensive price per session) which I'm too awkward to say no to or cancel even if I do follow through with scheduling. And I'm also too nervous to try and mention the issue of her falling asleep during sessions. I obviously need to switch to someone else, but the biggest problem I struggle with is feeling bad for no longer wanting her as my therapist, and being unsure if I should tell her that she's falling asleep or spacing out during sessions. I feel it's only fair to the both of us to tell her, but at the same time I feel like she obviously knows this is happening and just simply doesn't acknowledge or address it herself. I'm at a loss on how to handle this. If you are able to give any advice on the situation whatsoever, I'd be extremely grateful for it. Thank you for putting this video out there for people like me that need a little extra advice and guidance on making these decisions. Again, if you have advice I'd be so so grateful, but if not I'm grateful for the video in the first place.

[Pravduh]

I appreciate this!
I’ve been having a lot of anxiety because today, I will tell my therapist that I would like to start a termination plan. I like my therapist, and she has helped me so much, but I feel like it’s no longer working. Our sessions for the past year have been over the phone (as I have requested), but unable to visit her office because she lives elsewhere. She recommended a hypnotherapist in addition to her help, and she gave me resources. I found a therapist that she recommended, and I see so much more progress just in the last couple of sessions. The fact that I can see her at her office is significant for me. Also, she gives me homework after our visit (which I love). The session is structured very well and will go deep and ask much more questions with constant feedback. My primary therapist has helped me with so much over the year, and it feels like I’m breaking up with a friend. I’ve ultimately opened up because I trust her, and she is always supportive. The fact that she gave me a resource for hypnotherapy and I realized that I like this new therapist (LMFT) hurts because this made me realize that I needed to find another method of help. The phone calls just aren’t working for me anymore, and the way the new therapist structures the sessions had made me realize that I can come out feeling much more accomplished compared to my primary therapist. I love my primary therapist because she helped me during the darkest moment of my life, and I’m heartbroken.

I appreciate your advice. It’s helping me better understand how I can effectively and appropriately ask for a termination plan.

[haunteddreams]

My support we go places and take our chats to cafes but she is leaving in 2 weeks its been incredibly hard to get over the fact that to her its a job so when shes gone shes gone But to use she was that person we really needed.

[DeanaaR]

I have therapy in a few but she only talks about stuff relationship and my anxiety and depression went up and I’m not comfortable anymore but I’m super close too her so I don’t know how to say bye to her

[Stayler]

Just tell them through text. They aren't your friend