My changes of therapists that were my decision - I was glad to drop them . I just went in one day and in the first sentance out of my mouth Isaid Im not coming back goodbye and walked out the door. Those therapists basically didn't see it coming and were left sitting there with their mouths dropped open in shock. A few called and asked me to come in to discuss it and I returned their calls be simply stating the situation was not up for discussion and I already said goodbye and asked that they never contact me again. They honored that and closed my file.

In the situations where it was the therapists decision we spent time together getting prepared for them leaving.

There was a situation in which one of my counselors was forced to leave her clients unjustly. In that case I refused her help in locating a new therapist. Basically gave her the cold shoulder because she was not giving me any information all all. Just one day said we had one week to locate a new therapist for me and when I asked why she refused to discuss it, which made me feel that I had done something wrong and I wanted to know what I had done that had offended her so much that she would hate me so much as to not talk about it with me. For the next couple weeks I gave her a very rough time. Every time she approached me I gave her the cold shoulder. from a distance she saw me with tears going down my face all the while I was working and attending my classes. My work was a workstudy program with a college and that college donated the use of the property for that crisis centers workshops and training seminars/orientations. that my counselor had worked for. when ever she came in to schedule a room I refused to be the one working with her on the scheduling details. I didn't say anything I just walked away and let the other person on duty take care of it. Finally JEH had enough and arranged with my co worker to have the office to ourselves and she took the time to explain that someone in her agency had made accusations based on her private life that was in fact no ones business but hers.She was fighting it in court and part of this was that the hiring and firing committee fired her so she had no choice but to leave me and one other of her clients that she had hoped to see us through this process from beginning to end. JEH and I never said good bye. instead we exchanged phone numbers and addresses and have been in contact on and off over the passing years. As for her court case - she won.

Alot of my therapy changes came from my having to go underground by way of the Domestic Violence and Rape crisis agencies due to being located by my abusers. In those cases I could not let them know that I would soon be leaving. When you go under ground for your safety and those in the programs you have to give up all contact with anyone that is in your life. That includes friend, relatives, physicians and therapy professions. You basically start literally with the clothes on your back and what will fit in a back pack. you don't even have a name to go by for you have to give up even the name you are born with or were using at the time in which your abuser has located you as being. When its your life or a life of being beaten, raped and so on and is basically the abusers life or your own you don't think about or worry about leaving a professional behind or the professional leaving you and what to do. for those issues are basically non existant you have to leave of be killed pain and simple and do what you need in order to be physically safe - you leave. I still think about the many great therapists that I have had to leave behind. But I don't sink into a great depression of I didn't have closure and neither did those therapists.

In other cases with therapy I have had to change therapy professionals and that therapist and I were able to go through the agencys protocal of transition which includes discussing the therapy change and that therapist helps the cleint in researching prospective new therapists and going with the client to the first few sessions to help make that transition go smoothly and make sure that the therapist is the right match for the client. This is the standard protocal for therapy agencies in the USA.

On a personal level I don't worry to much about therapist changes. Things happen in life and there is not always going to be a"closure" with the situation I learned that concept well with the situation with JEH. Therapists also get hit with "Shoit happens" So for me a normal therapy experience includes knowing right from the beginning that unfortunately most therapy experiences with one therapist usually only lasts a year or two. If you get lucky you will have the same therapist longer.

So I don't worry about having to see someone new and focusing on "getting closure" when it does happen.

I instead make the most of the time I do have with each therapy professional. For that is the only thing that is in my control -

I can have a good or great experience by making sure I know why I am in therapy and what I want to accomplish and some ideas for how I want to accomplish those goals during therapy time and following through by giving it my all including trying things that my therapist suggests.

OR

I can not talk, not try the therapy activities and so on basically sabotaging and wasting the megabusks it costs to have a therapist helping me. Since I am on state medical insrance if I did this not ony am I wasting my time and the therapists time and my money but I am also wasting every wroking persons money because it is those that work that contribute through taxes and so on that is paying for my therapy sessions. This choice also reflects on the citizens off america because when the government recieves the polls and census reports and so on they have to make cuts someplace to make up for other areas and when those reports are not favorable of mental clients learning and actually gaining and using the therapy that amercian citizens are paying for they end up making more cuts to them and giving more to the programs that have success rates and sometimes cutting right out those of little to no success rate so that the programs with success rates can continue so that america isn't losing as much money in those non successful areas any more.

Comparing the two I choose to make the best of my therapy experience while I have. With all these government cuts someday there may not be a state medical insurance that covers mental health care.

So I guess this is my suggestion - If you are in therapy now - make the best of the time you have with the present therapy professional and not waste time worrying about something that hasn't happened yet.

For those entering therapy remember that therapists are not forever and ask questions about what the transition process is so that you and the therapist can set up a transition program ahead of time which will save needless worrying all throughout your therapy experience.

For those in this right now take that therapist up on the USA protocal of the therapist helping you to research new therapy options that way when it is "the last day" both you and the therapist have had closure and you are ready to move on instead of remaining stuck in the losing / lost therapist depression mode.

And always remember a therapist cannot always control the money problems and the "shoit happens" that results in loss of a therapist suddenly. Take time on and off during the present therapy process to discuss this. That way when it happens because its going to happens sooner of later if you remain in therapy it isn't totally debilitating on you. Its like any physical crisis like an earth quake there are things you can do now that will help when it happens being prepared in 95% of the battle.