How to Break Up With Your Therapist Without Ghosting Them
Experts explain how to tell your therapist it isn't working out.
Therapy can be uncomfortable at times, but it can also be productive if a therapist challenges assumptions, points out patterns, and encourages personal growth. If therapy no longer feels useful or the therapist-therapist relationship is not a good match, it is important to have an honest conversation before ending the relationship.
This can improve therapy, help find a better therapist, or allow for a guilt-free departure. Speaking up may also save the time and effort of starting the search for a new therapist from scratch.
Therapists can help clients find new therapists, adjust their approach, or recommend someone who suits the client better. Clients should be able to name what they are working toward and notice how much time their therapist takes up. Collaboration with the therapist to improve the relationship is encouraged, but if the client is ready to leave, they should communicate their decision in a straightforward manner without turning the conversation into a performance review.
If the client is open to continuing with the therapist, they should describe what they have noticed and need for change, such as more structure, feedback, or therapeutic insight. Communicating frustrations helps the therapist calibrate their approach. However, if the client no longer wants therapy or feels unsafe, they do not need to attempt a repair before leaving.
The goal is to communicate the decision in a way that feels manageable. The client can choose to end the relationship through a phone call, email, or text message, without the need for a face-to-face conversation.
Written by urgent.news from Time's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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