BONUS: When Clients Disappear: The Reality of Therapy Endings (PT2)

BONUS: When Clients Disappear: The Reality of Therapy Endings (PT2)

Ever had a client vanish just before their final session? Or wondered why endings can feel so awkward sometimes for everyone in the room? This bonus episode of Mastering Therapy is a practical guide to therapy terminations, with a clinician’s eye on what really happens (and what goes unsaid). The conversation explores messy endings, why clients “ghost”, and how therapists can plan for sessions that fizzle or never happen at all.

Expect practical tools on handling your own reactions, scripts for easing those tricky conversations, and fresh reflections on when saying “goodbye” does or doesn’t mean the work is finished. Useful whether you’re NHS-based or in private practice. No mention of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), but plenty to chew over all the same.

The host is Dr. Natalie Stott, clinical psychologist, founder of Mastering Therapy and host of the Mastering Therapy podcast.

Timestamps

What Kind of Ending Is This? 2:56

When Clients Ghost 7:00

Planned Endings & Practical Options 13:10

Therapist-Led Endings 20:07

Resources mentioned:

What to do when guide HERE

Clients' perspectives on therapy termination - PubMed6 Strategies for Ethical Termination of Psychotherapy | Society for the Advancement of PsychotherapyDo all therapists do that when saying goodbye? A study of commonalities in termination behaviors - PubMedTermination of psychotherapy: a systematic review - PMC