[sinking]

Do i have the right to know if my T thinks im ready or not to end therapy?
and WHY he thinks im ready/not ready?

I asked him many times but he always found a way to not answer.

[Raging Quiet]

It's YOUR therapy, you are paying for treatment and your T should speak about terminating therapy with you or when you feel ready to leave.

[wotchermuggle]

Originally Posted by sinking

Do i have the right to know if my T thinks im ready or not to end therapy?
and WHY he thinks im ready/not ready?

I asked him many times but he always found a way to not answer.

Yes, definitely. You're paying for a service.

[ultramar]

I think the best person to decide if you're ready to end therapy is you, but of course it makes sense that you want to know what your therapist thinks and to have a discussion about it, I certainly would too.

I don't know why your therapist seems to be skirting the issue. Do you think you might be being vague when you bring it up? Maybe, if you're not already, you could try to be more direct with your concerns about this.

[Moodswing]

If you are paying cash and not through insurance your T might not want to lose that income.

[tooski]

It's generally considered not ethical for a T to advise on termination. If a T says you're not ready, then they can be accused of just being in it "for the money" and keeping a client longer than necessary so they keep getting that check. If they advise for termination, that can be seen as "abandoning" the client.

So it's our decision as clients. A good T should help you to talk about the pros and cons until you come to the decision yourself.

[stopdog]

I don't know if it is a right, but from what I have read, most are willing to give their opinion. You can leave (unless there is like a court order) without it if you want. They can't, under normal circumstances, make you come.

My t has never brought up the subject of termination, we have talked about it at length when I have brought it up.

[CantExplain]

Originally Posted by sinking

I asked him many times but he always found a way to not answer.

Not answering can be the right response in some cases.
But once it becomes a pattern, it is counterproductive.
It makes the therapist seem devious and untrustworthy.

"And how do you feel about that?"
"I feel that I want a therapist I can trust and who will be honest with me."

[sinking]

Thank you all soooo much for your answers.

Tooski, i think you're right. Thank you for helping me understand why my T refused to answer my questions. i was quite frustrated and even resented but it makes sense now. Thank you.

[Perna]

What your therapist thinks is not as important as what want/think. Because it is your therapy you have to bring it up first for it to be discussed; you are coming to see him and he cannot know what you want, "first". It would be a little like wondering if you have a right to know when his next vacation is going to be before he makes plans. It's not that he wouldn't like to tell you, it's that he does not know yet. You are in the "middle" of therapy until you get thinking you are close to done.