Closure

How long does this take? When am I done?

Every therapeutic journey is unique, including the amount of time it requires. Here are some basic principles I would suggest you keep in mind:

• Typically, you know when you have gotten what you wanted from therapy. The more clear you are at the beginning about what you are trying to achieve, the more easily you can discern when you have gotten there. Then, with the help of your therapist, you can set a new goal or close this course of therapy.
• If therapy begins to feel stuck or stagnant, bring this up with your therapist. I will also bring it up if I am feeling that way. This does not mean that anyone is doing anything wrong. It may just indicate that this course of therapy has gone as far as it can go for now. When we talk about it, sometimes that alone revitalizes the process. But sometimes we agree that it is time to close therapy, at least for the time being.
• Remaining in therapy after it has become stuck or stagnant is actually counter-productive. It is not good for you. Make a change.
• Most people resist leaving one therapist to look for another. I agree that it is valuable and appropriate to stay with a therapist that you trust as long as the process remains productive. But it can actually be very helpful to begin with someone new.
• The process of leaving therapy, known as closure, is just as valuable and important as any other phase of therapy. Like most other major life events, it usually goes better to turn toward the discomfort than to avoid it.