Therapy Termination Worksheet

What is a Therapy Termination Worksheet?

There can be many reasons for a client or therapist to terminate their therapy sessions. Clients’ needs may change and become outside of the therapist's scope of practice, a client may move away and no longer be able to attend sessions, or the client and therapist may reach the natural end of their progression in therapy.

Regardless of the reasons for termination, ending therapy can be a daunting prospect and should be handled with care to ensure the best possible outcome for both the client and the therapist. Therapy may have become part of the client’s routine, and the thought of no longer having that safe space or person to talk to can be a big issue to process.

With these issues in mind, we have created a for your clients to complete prior to their final session with you. The questions in this worksheet are open-ended and designed to help your client put their thoughts and feelings about the end of their therapy into words.

How to Use This Worksheet for Therapy Termination

In many cases, it will become apparent to you as a mental health professional when your client has progressed sufficiently that they no longer need therapy sessions with you. Or in some cases, a client will initiate the termination of sessions due to their personal circumstances. In either of these situations, our Therapy Termination Worksheet can be a useful tool for thoughtfully closing your client’s time with you. We’ve created a simple step-by-step guide for you to start using this worksheet in your mental health practice.

Step One. Confirm the Termination of your Client’s Therapy

The first step is to ensure that your client intends to terminate their therapy with you. This may be either on your recommendation or their request. Set the final session date so you both are on the same page about when their sessions with you will be terminated.

Step Two. Offer your Client the Therapy Termination Worksheet

Prior to this final session, give your client the Therapy Termination Worksheet, either in an electronic or paper copy. Be sure to allow them sufficient time to complete the worksheet prior to your final session.

Step Three. Address the Content of your Client’s Therapy Termination Worksheet

Assuming your client is happy to share their responses with you, set aside time in one of your final sessions to go through their answers, address their concerns, and ultimately reflect and celebrate their progress with you.

Step Four. Store the Worksheet Securely

The final step is to store the worksheet securely, and wish your client the best of luck as they move forward.

Who Can Use this Printable Therapy Termination Worksheet (PDF)?

There is a wide variety of mental health practitioners who can benefit from incorporating this worksheet into their therapy termination process. This includes:

1. Therapists and Psychotherapists
2. Counselors
3. Coaches
4. Mental Health Nurses
5. Psychologists
6. Mentors
7. Psychiatrists.

In terms of clients who can benefit from completing this worksheet, any client of the above practitioners who is nearing the end of their therapy can use this Therapy Termination Worksheet to help them work through this process.

Why is This Form Useful for Therapists?

Standardize Therapy Termination Process

Utilizing a dedicated worksheet for the therapy termination process ensures you are giving every client the same opportunity to voice their reflections on therapy, the impact it has had on their life, and any concerns they have about life after therapy.

Ensure Thoughtful Responses

Worksheets are wonderful tools to provide to your clients as they can take them away, spend the time needed to really consider their responses, and return them at a later date. As such, the use of our worksheet will likely produce more considered responses from your clients than simply asking them questions in a rapid-fire interview style under the time constraint of a therapy session.

Benefits of Therapy Termination Worksheet PDF

Ensure your clients are heard

Your clients will undoubtedly have thoughts and feelings about the end of the therapy process. Additionally, they may have concerns about therapy ending and how they will cope without their sessions with you. Make sure your clients feel heard and cared for by offering them our Therapy Termination Worksheet designed to help them get these thoughts down and work through any concerns prior to the end of their therapy.

Self-reflection

The information in the completed Therapy Termination Worksheet can also be of benefit to you as a practitioner. Your clients will be able to highlight key learning points, memories, and what they found most valuable from therapy. These answers can be great for informing your clinical practice and reflecting on your own work.

Address client concerns

Our Therapy Termination Worksheet gives your client space to process their concerns about ending therapy, which can then be worked through by both of you in your final sessions to best prepare them for life after therapy.

Correspond Electronically

A great benefit of this worksheet template is that it can be completed digitally through the interactive PDF textboxes, meaning you can send and receive the completed worksheet without either of you needing access to a printer.

Plan your final session(s)

Finally, your client’s responses in this worksheet can help you to structure their final session with you. Whether this is reflecting on their progress, addressing their concerns, or just giving them (and yourself!) a big pat on the back and wishing them the best of luck.