Therapy is what the client brings into the sessions. When a person enters therapy the client and therapist sit down together and get to know each other and what the client feels is the problem and possible solutions and from that the therapist and client develop "goals".

Goals are what areas that are going to be worked on in therapy. Once the client accomplishes those goals it is time for therapy to end for the time being.

Sometimes when working one one set of goals the client and therapist decide to work on other issues too. That is a decision that they come to together. by way of periodically (here it is every 6 months) the therapist and client fill in the goals and so on that they are presently working on and any future goals.

Nothing about therapy is manditory (unless you are under court order or under the age of 18) A person can enter therapy and throw mega bucks away just by sitting there and not doing a thing. A small number of therapists don't mind as long as you are paying for the sessions out of your pocket and thats how you want to spend that $100.00 - $200.00 a 45-55 minute hour hey thats fine. But if its not out of your pocket but paid by insurance the insurance companies want to know that they are not wasting money on someone who is just sitting there not working on anything so they will only pay as long as goals are being worked on.

Therapists know they can't make a client work on what they don't want to so when they start seeing things slow down to where there is nothing that the client is willing to work on they start the process of stopping closing sessions with that person.

personally I don't work with my therapist on my self injury and suicidal issues and that does not stop us from working on other things that need to be taken care of.