Preparing for the Last Therapy Session: A Mindful Guide to the Termination Process
The therapeutic relationship can be a really special one. It’s one of the only relationships where one person is the complete priority. Due to the nature of the therapeutic relationship, ending therapy can bring up many emotions. This blog explores the process of ending therapy, including what it may bring up, how you can reflect on your journey, and what it might look like to move forward with compassion.
Give Yourself Credit
First things first, give yourself credit for making space for therapy. Therapy is not always easy; it requires inner work, commitment, and a dedication to get to know yourself better. At times in therapy, you’ll talk about difficult things, bigger emotions, and explore patterns that are no longer serving you. Although beneficial, therapy can sometimes be challenging.
But you did it. You showed up. You made time for yourself. That deserves acknowledgement.
Going to therapy is about prioritizing healing, even when it’s uncomfortable. If you're feeling worried about endings in therapy, remind yourself of your resilience and that you're capable of handling change. You are capable of doing the things that may put you out of your comfort zone.
Reflect on your Journey
After giving yourself credit, take some time to actually reflect on your experience of being in therapy.
Here are a few questions you might want to sit with:
How did you feel before your first meeting with your therapist? Were there nerves, hesitation, and uncertainty?
Do you feel different about the relationship now, compared to how it felt at the start?
What made the relationship work?
What did you learn about yourself?
What do you want to carry forward from therapy?
Even though the relationship might be ending, the work you’ve done still matters. Reflect on ways you can continue to apply these skills in your friendships, decision-making processes, future relationships, and self-care practices.
Plan for After Therapy
Sometimes, having a plan can help ease the transition. If you’re ending therapy for good, ask yourself: What behaviors, tools, or lessons do I want to make sure I carry with me? What has felt most helpful? What can I come back to when things feel hard again?
If you’re going to work with a new therapist, it might be helpful to write down the goals you still want to work on. What do you want to continue exploring? What’s motivated your decision to continue therapy?
Planning is important, as having an idea of what’s happening after your therapy ends can make the goodbye feel less like an ending and more like a continuation of your growth.
Reflect On How You Usually Say Goodbye
Reflect on your life experiences. Think about different transitions you’ve faced. When you’ve moved homes, left jobs, changed schools, and experienced loss, what did saying goodbye look like for you? How did you act, process, and feel?
There’s no right or wrong way to say goodbye. It’s deeply personal. But how you have handled endings in your life may offer some insight into how you might experience the end of therapy.
If you feel that goodbyes have been something you struggle with, consider sharing this with your therapist.
You can discuss ways to make the transition as comfortable as possible. This could be an opportunity to practice the skills you’ve learned and model a healthier, more intentional goodbye.
Consider Attending the "Termination Session"
In most cases, your therapist will offer you a termination session. You may be hesitant to attend, question the need, or feel it’d be easier to skip.
While the word "termination" can sound intimidating, it's actually just a final session to make space for the time you’ve had together. It can be used however you want. Your therapist might suggest talking about goals or areas you want to continue working on, but ultimately, it’s your space. You can talk about whatever feels meaningful to you. The purpose is closure. It’s about acknowledging the ending and honoring the work you’ve done together.
Remember that Therapists Feel the Endings, Too
When therapy ends, you might find yourself wondering: Will my therapist think about me? Did this relationship matter to them as much as it mattered to me? Having these thoughts may make the transition feel more difficult and cause you to question.
The answer is yes. Your therapist genuinely cares and probably cares a lot!! Therapy is a relationship. It may be professional, but it’s still deeply human. And the ending is felt on both sides.
Just because you won't be in regular contact anymore doesn't mean the relationship didn't matter. It did. And just because the space is closing doesn’t mean your therapist isn't going to think of you or continue to always want the best for you!
You mattered to your therapist, and the formal ending of the work does not change that.
Endings in therapy can be emotional, but they can also be meaningful. By making the time to process the ending, you can feel more comfortable moving forward. Remember, the ending doesn’t take away from the relationship or the work you’ve done.
Ready to prioritize your mental health and well-being? MSC Therapy offers specialized psychotherapy services for young adult women in New York and Florida. Mollie provides compassionate, client-centered, and supportive therapy to help clients navigate anxiety, low self-esteem, disordered eating, body image concerns, OCD, relationship issues, dating, school or career stress, perfectionism, and life transitions. Services are available virtually, allowing for convenient and accessible support. Reach out now to take the first steps toward a more balanced life.