Shonda Lackey, Ph.D.
So, you’ve been in therapy for a while. How do you know when it’s time to leave? Assuming there were no ruptures in the professional relationship with your therapist, you may consider ending treatment once you’ve achieved your treatment goals.
In the REBT Resource Book for Practitioners, there are several signs listed that help people determine if it’s time to end therapy. Here are a few:
Accepting responsibility for your actions
Being satisfied with your progress
Being content with your relationships
Being able to accept yourself
Avoiding self-defeating behavior
Pretty much, a good time to end therapy is when you’ve become your own therapist and can handle problems that occur without getting overwhelmed. Maintaining the progress you’ve made often involves recalling what coping mechanisms were most helpful for specific problems. Also remember what was particularly unhelpful and avoid those ways of coping. Identify a support system. Anticipate barriers. Unfortunately, progress is not always linear. Learn to recognize signs of relapse and know when you may need more help than you can give yourself. Progress is not always linear.
We are all works in progress!