Terminating Psychotherapy

The topic of terminating therapy is not one that clinicians normally consider. However, the session limits placed on clinicians by managed care require that the end of therapy be built into the treatment plan from the onset. With a focus on the termination of psychotherapy, A Clinician’s Guide examines the pertinent additional training that will aid mental health professionals in providing the most financially sensible and clinically deep treatment for their clients. Specifically, the book provides information on how to identify and understand when and how to discontinue psychological treatment with clients who have achieved sub-par results, as well as with clients who have ulterior motives such as friendship or support. The volume examines how to identify the client’s motivations early in therapy in order to better plan the course of treatment and to effectively prepare for "unplanned" terminations. It supplies important additional training in its discussions on ethical dilemmas, financial and personal consequences, and troubleshooting when it comes to engaging in termination. Offering a comprehensive and practice-focused guide from distinguished contributors, the book covers a wide spectrum of therapy approaches, patient populations and termination strategies. The book provides an in-depth look at termination by discussing various patient models, types, backgrounds, and problems, noting that with clear goals and a set course of action, the therapist will be better equipped to design a treatment that will best serve the patient’s interest.

William T. O’Donohue, Ph.D., is a full professor in the Department of Psychology and honorary associate professor of Philosophy, at the University of Nevada at Reno.  He is director of the University’s Victims of Crimes Treatment Center, and also its Sexual Assault Prevention and Counseling Services. 

Michael A. Cucciare, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral research fellow with the Center for Health Care Evaluation at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System and Stanford University School of Medicine.