Ethically, therapists have to be honest with you if they are aware that therapy isn't helping you. It is unethical to keep someone in therapy when that person is not benefiting for any reason, such as: the problems needing to be addressed have been resolved; the therapist lacks the skill or experience or is otherwise unable to help that client; some other treatment would be more effective; etc. It might be that you aren't yet ready for the work expected of you in therapy or to make lasting changes in your approach to life, for whatever reason. And it is also possible that therapy could be helping you to be more ready, or closer to making those changes. Medication can make it easier to get somewhere in therapy, too.

I have spent a lot of years in therapy, and have also been told that it wasn't helping and that I should get on medication instead. My early experiences with therapy didn't help much because I didn't really understand the process, didn't trust anyone, and wasn't doing what I needed to in order to benefit - and none of those therapists recognized or understood what was going on or what I needed.

Later, one therapist I saw off and on over a couple of years told me that my depression was entirely a medical problem, was genetic, and I needed medication rather than therapy. I can see why he thought that, as that year I was really struggling and kept relapsing. There was not much progress for him to observe, and I refused to try medication. He decided I wasn't going to get any better, and terminated. Even though he didn't see progress, I was getting closer to being ready, and made a lot of changes that were stressful at the time and contributed to the relapses, but ultimately helped to get me in a position to be able to reclaim my life.

I went to another therapist after that one, and have been seeing this current therapist for more than 5 years now. She has also told me numerous times that I wasn't making enough progress and she considered termination because she didn't feel that she was actually helping. I was devastated each time we went through that, and felt like giving up on everything if she was going to give up on me. She was my last hope. We kept sticking it out, and I have made progress but it has been slow. I concluded recently that anxiety was really kicking my butt and I needed to get somewhere with that problem, so I did start taking medication just recently. I don't know if it is helping yet, but I feel that that decision was part of gaining the acceptance, willingness, and the surrender that is necessary for me to overcome my mental health challenges. I'm still going with therapy, and I think I am finally getting somewhere.

So, we all go at different paces, and all is not lost if you aren't being helped enough right now. The time might not be right for you yet, or it might not be the right therapist, or there might be something life has yet to teach you that you aren't going to get from a therapist. There is no way to know when you will turn that corner. Therapy might be helping you to get there. Whether you keep going to therapy, or take a break for a while, don't give up.