As a social work jargon for the last phase of therapy, termination is an important component of the process. Whether planned or unplanned, termination can elicit feelings of loss, separation, guilt, and loss impacting clients and social workers alike. To evaluate the progress of the client and determine whether they are ready for termination, social workers can use a number of strategies. These include focusing on the client’s development of new feelings, thinking, and actions. This can be done in a one-on-one talk with the client to talk about the goals that have been achieved and reminisce about any disappointments in the process.
An example of a situation that might end the relationship before the client achieves their goals is an end to an internship at community counseling centers. Most of the social workers there are graduate students who work during summer. In spring, the relationship comes to an end and the client has to transfer to the incoming social worker.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Regardless of planned or unplanned, termination has both positive and negative feelings on both the client and therapist. For the social worker, termination is a time of reflection and a feeling of accomplishment for the work done to clients. Reviewing the work together with and for the patient gives a sense of pride and accomplishment especially when there are amazing changes that have taken place (Keleher, Oakman, Capobianco & Mittelstaedt, 2019). It can be truly gratifying. On the other hand, there is a negative feeling of abandoning patients who depended on you for their mental well-being. The uncertainty of what is likely to happen to the after termination can be scary.
Clients, on the other hand, are likely to experience a positive feeling due to the gains of the therapy and the experience they are going to have for being independent. However, in most cases, clients are on the receiving end of negative feelings such as sadness, abandonment, anger, and anxiety (Keleher, Oakman, Capobianco & Mittelstaedt, 2019). In sum, termination is important for the therapeutic process regardless of whether it is planned or unplanned.
Reference
Keleher, B., Oakman, J. M., Capobianco, K., & Mittelstaedt, W. H. (2019). Basic psychological needs satisfaction, working alliance, and early termination in psychotherapy. Counselling Psychology Quarterly , 32 (1), 64-80.
