Sunny, Coincidentally, my t. and I were discussing this very topic yesterday. I told him I was feeling "guilty" about therapy and wondering if I was being self-indulgent. I asked him how long his clients generally see him on an average. He said that it varies a lot, but that generally it falls into 3 categories.

1) He has a group that have been coming for years and find the process helpful. They see it as something on-going as life changes and they face new challenges. Kind of like a regualar part of their life.

2) He has clients that have a specific problem, trauma or difficult life event. They come until they feel comfortable and in a place where they no longer find therapy necessary or even desirable.

3) Finally, he has a group of people who he sees periodically. He said there is no set time-table. They begin as regular weekly clients and slowly begin to cut back. It is done with the understanding that they can/will return whenever they want. Many come back for a few sessions & then he might not see them again for a year or so. They touch base and this helps them a lot.

He thinks it helps a lot of people to think of therapy as a "process" rather than a "treatment".

I don't know if this helps at all. But, it made me feel good to know that it is ok to end reguar therapy, but not really "Terminate". It's always there and okay to just drop-in and get a "tune-up" when needed or when I just miss him
tulips