On Friday, during session, my therapist told me that next Tuesday would be our last session.

I have been seeing him for 8 months and we are ending because he travels during the summer. I don't think he's been particularly helpful or that I've accomplished much with him but I'm going through a major transition and it would have been nice to have had more notice.

I'm thinking of skipping the last session. Is this a bad idea? Has anyone ever skipped a last session?

Sent using Tapatalk

[phaset]

I think that terminating with you to go on vacation is horrible. I'd probably go but I am a wuss.

[HazelGirl]

It is important to go. But it's extremely lame of him to terminate you because of vacation. I am sorry you have to go through that.

[coolibrarian]

Wow, this is crap! I'm sorry your T has done this to you. If you feel strong enough, I recommend going to the last session, if only to tell T what a mistake he made, terminating you in this fashion. Good luck.

[stopdog]

I would not go. Why go and pay the guy for that if he has not been useful.

[Mike_J]

How can he keep a practice going if he bails on all his clients every summer??

[HazelGirl]

My guess is that he is planning on closing his practice and is releasing clients bit by bit? Or maybe is reducing the size of it and is eliminating some of the newer clients first?

[Lauliza]

I would not bother as you said he hasn't been helpful anyway. Unless you feel a need to go, I wouldn't spend the money.

[Mactastic]

It makes me angry when I hear about T's terminating clients in this way. How inconsiderate! If you feel the need to "tie up loose ends" I would go, but if it would just feel like a waste of money maybe it's a good idea to skip. But for me, I'd go to the last session. You might regret it if you don't have a final goodbye.

I have never heard of a therapist doing this but he is almost guaranteed clients because he is an outside therapist that my university recommends to students every year - so he has a steady stream of clients.

Feels like I'm a loose end and I feel disrespected or not cared about due to his abrupt termination of me with full knowledge of my struggles.

Sent using Tapatalk

[OneWorld]

I wouldn't. I would call and leave a message explaining how rude it was to terminate that way (or email) but I wouldn't pay money for a session just to tell him that if he hasn't been helpful.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Lauliza]

I think you should let him know then if this is how you are feeling. It's worth it for you to let this T know that his actions affect others.

For me it would depend on whether or not insurance covers it. If insurance covers it, I'd go, because it's not costing me anything. If I had to pay for it myself.. I'm not sure whether I have the guts to cancel, but I'd like to think I have.

[Perna]

If I did not want to go, I would not go but I would call and cancel as soon as possible. If I thought I wanted to seen someone else though, I'd go and discuss that, if there's any recommendations or ideas about what I'm going through now, etc.

[msxyz]

Considering the circumstances I would skip. I don't understand his reasoning, besides he wasn't helpful so what's the point?

Originally Posted by Mike_J

How can he keep a practice going if he bails on all his clients every summer??

Our school refers students to him every year.

Sent using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Mactastic

It makes me angry when I hear about T's terminating clients in this way. How inconsiderate! If you feel the need to "tie up loose ends" I would go, but if it would just feel like a waste of money maybe it's a good idea to skip. But for me, I'd go to the last session. You might regret it if you don't have a final goodbye.

My work with him has largely been around relationships and so I'm shocked that he didn't take more care with ending ours. You're right, I might regret not going to say goodbye.

Sent using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Akama

Considering the circumstances I would skip. I don't understand his reasoning, besides he wasn't helpful so what's the point?

Yeah, I have not understood him from the beginning. Even his plan for treatment was unclear the entire time.

Sent using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Perna

If I did not want to go, I would not go but I would call and cancel as soon as possible. If I thought I wanted to seen someone else though, I'd go and discuss that, if there's any recommendations or ideas about what I'm going through now, etc.

He gave me recommendations for seeing other therapists but I don't know that I want to take them if they're anything like him.

Sent using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Breadfish

For me it would depend on whether or not insurance covers it. If insurance covers it, I'd go, because it's not costing me anything. If I had to pay for it myself.. I'm not sure whether I have the guts to cancel, but I'd like to think I have.

My insurance covers 90% and I end up paying $5 a session.

Sent using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Lauliza

I think you should let him know then if this is how you are feeling. It's worth it for you to let this T know that his actions affect others.

I have told him once before and his solution was to up my session number and try having me work with him and a group but I needed him to address my concerns and stop saying "we'll get to that" because now the school year is over and we only started DBT and completely skipped over my more important issues - one of them being a huge transition.

Sent using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by OneWorld

I wouldn't. I would call and leave a message explaining how rude it was to terminate that way (or email) but I wouldn't pay money for a session just to tell him that if he hasn't been helpful.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am seriously considering that.

Sent using Tapatalk

I told him I didn't see the point of going to a last session and he said I needed a healthy goodbye.

Sent using Tapatalk

[HazelGirl]

I do think it's important to go to the last session. The worst that could happen is you feel like you wasted your time.

[Freewilled]

Was there ever a timeline mentioned about your therapy relationship? Like that it would end come summer? If not, I feel like he was not very respectful of your relationship. I just know I would be devastated if my T did that....but my t has told me he is in it for he long-haul, and that barring unforeseen circumstances, he will be there as long as I feel the desire to see him. I hope your T never said that to you, but if he did, I'd call him out on it.

Even so, I believe he should've been preparing you for it for awhile now if he knew that was going to be it come June, you know? I'm sorry you are dealing with this