does there have to be termination?

ive seen threads about termination and it made me think long term. i always say things like, "i just want all this to be over" or "i hate all this". while i hate what im going through and the stress of it i dont hate what I get from T.
i hope that i wont always be in the emotional state i am in right now and that i wont always need her to the degree i do right now but does that mean someday when im in a better place that i would have to leave completely? or can it just become on an as needed basis?

Some people have "top-up" sessions, say every 3 months. This is my plan when the core of my work is complete. PerhaPs with time that won't be necessary. But holding that in mind helps.

I think it depends on the therapist. From what I have read, some are big into setting termination dates and then that is it, some wind down going from weekly to every other week to monthly until it winds down, and some are whatever works for the client. Many, as I understand it, tell the client that they are welcome to come back if something new comes up. I think this is where the conventional wisdom around here of talk to the therapist might come into play if it is causing you anxiety.

Right. It depends. My first T wouldn't let me come back but I saw other Ts after her. The others said I could come back "as needed" and one let me email her, which I don't do very often. I know my current T would let me come "as needed" when I'm done.

Why don't you ask your T what her/his policy is so you'll hopefully feel better about it, or can discuss it?

My T has constantly told me in the past that I can see him even when I feel better and 'dont need him anymore'.

If you develop a really good relationship with a T, I don't see a reason to ever completely cut them off from your life(especially if they've been a big part of it)

You should talk to your T about this... when I did he was very helpful and made me feel that my future was safe if I wanted to see him forever but he says people change and I may want to leave therapy one day and never come back.

My t says I can see him until he retires. I only see him every other month and I'm sure that we are going to extend that to be longer. I just couldn't have him out of my life right now. Even thou things are going alright for me.

My t says that she wants to be part of my life forever and me part of her life forever, even when we are old ladies.

Termination is horrible!

If i was you, speak to your T and ask her policy on this. It's the only way you'll be able to relax about it.

My therapist says that I can keep working with her until I no longer think I need a therapist. Which is great, but it assumes I'd be able to know this all on my own. I don't think I would.

Even if I see her forever and ever, there IS no forever and ever. People retire and tell you "have a nice life", never to see you again. Or they die. So even if there is no formal "termination" for me, there will be an end.

My T and I are on a as needed basis now. I have no idea how often I'll need to see him, but at this point once a month or so seems most likely just to touch base. It has been a natural progression for me as I'm pretty stable now and really don't need to see him regularly anymore. There really has been no pain or grief about decreasing the contact because I was truly ready to move on AND I know I can still contact him if things come up.

I wonder about this also, the idea of it sounds really unimaginable at this point ... but then getting to this point seemed we are in now with our T's probably also felt unimaginable at one point? I think with t1 he says we will stay in touch after we're not client/therapist; with t2 I think there will be an end one day which is terrifying

Well I just terminated last month- well she terminated me and there is no going back. I emailed her and asked if I could go back if I needed to in the future and she said it wasn't a good idea in her proffesional opinion. She reckons I need to learn from this whole termination how to let go of relationships and how to detach from people.

t and i are of the "as needed basis" and i have gone back and forth over the years. life is good, i go once every few months or even longer in between and when life is kicking my butt, I'm back to weekly. this arrangement has worked very well for me and t suggested it, so that helps.