Breakups are never easy — and ending therapy is no exception. Even though it’s a professional relationship, it often feels deeply personal. When you first consider ending therapy, a lot of questions can bubble to the surface:
- What if I hurt their feelings?
- How do I bring this up?
- Will I have to start all over again?
These are totally normal questions and concerns. They often reflect how much you care about your therapist and the progress you’ve made. But rather than guessing how your therapist might react, we asked six of them directly. Their responses offer perspective, compassion, and gentle encouragement to advocate for your needs — even when that means moving on.
What’s the best way to bring up ending therapy?
If the thought of telling your therapist you’re ready to end sessions makes your stomach drop, you’re not alone. Even when therapy has been meaningful, or maybe especially then, initiating this conversation can feel overwhelming. But therapists expect these conversations — and they welcome your honesty.
“Even though you may share a lot of personal information with your therapist, it’s important to remember that the relationship is also a professional one. Your therapist is providing a service, and if that service isn’t meeting your needs, it’s completely okay to bring that up. Sharing those feelings can open the door to reassessing your goals, adjusting expectations, or even considering a referral to another provider who may be a better fit.”
–Kelsee White, LMFT, LCAS
“I appreciate when my clients can be honest and direct about their need or desire to end therapy. For instance, “I think I’d like to take a break from ongoing sessions because…” It could be financial reasons, scheduling conflicts, or they feel they met their goals, or even if they didn’t make a connection with me. I’d rather know their reason than not hear anything from them at all. We’ve built a relationship — they’ve shared their story and concerns with me. If it is me, my style, what I say or how I say it, I can use their feedback to self-reflect and find ways I can improve in my approach.”
–Faith Drew, Ph.D., LMFT
A respectful and direct approach doesn’t have to be perfect — and it often deepens the work, even as the relationship ends.
Do therapists take it personally when a client ends sessions or wants to see a different therapist?
It’s natural to worry about how your therapist might feel if you leave. After all, you’ve built trust, shared vulnerable parts of your life, and likely formed a real bond. But what many clients don’t realize is that therapists are trained to support these moments of transition — and they genuinely want what’s best for you.
“While ending therapy can bring up feelings of sadness, grief, and, potentially, insecurity for the therapist, it’s often also relieving to name what can often be sensed beneath the surface. It can also feel positive to help the client connect to someone who might be a better fit. I think it can also feel comforting to know that such a difficult and needed conversation might reflect a client getting more in touch with their own feelings and needs and being able to assert what feels true and right for them (rather than repressing their needs out of fear of other people’s emotions).”
–George Bitar, Ph.D., LMFT
“Our number one goal is the client’s health and well-being. If they aren’t getting what they need from working with me, that’s ok. Everyone is different, and we all have different needs. It’s ok if a client decides to end therapy. I’m not going to be personally offended by that decision.”
–Hanna Rose, LPC, LCMHC
At the end of the day, your therapist wants to see you advocate for your needs — even if it means you find a different therapist or take a break from therapy.
Should I share feedback about why I’m leaving therapy, even if it’s hard to hear?
Feedback is one of the most helpful tools in a therapist’s growth. Still, clients often hesitate to offer it, especially when it’s hard to hear. But many therapists appreciate, and even welcome, this kind of honesty.
“Yes! Not every therapist will be a good fit for every client, but there are some aspects of a therapist’s professional work that will be vastly improved if clients share what wasn’t working for them. Of course, it is up to the therapist if they want to take that advice or suggestion.”
–Maddy Lock, AMFT
“Absolutely! As professionals it is our job to learn and grow, if there is something that happened that went unresolved or made you feel uncomfortable opening up, we would want to know that! It is almost impossible to improve on something you aren’t aware of.”
–Rachel Kloss, LCSWA
“It might feel awkward, but a good therapist will listen to understand their point of view, offer validation for their experience, “I can see how it would feel frustrating to not make as much progress as you’d hoped by now.” And then ask the therapist to describe how they see progress, if this is in alignment with how therapy progresses, or do they feel like there is a block or barrier to the goals…having an honest and open conversation about their experience is okay and helpful.”
–Faith Drew, Ph.D., LMFT
What if I feel guilty or worried about hurting my therapist’s feelings?
Therapists get this question often — and it reflects the compassion many clients bring to their relationships, even at the end. But therapists aren’t expecting perfection; they’re expecting honesty.
“Chances are, you won’t be the first or last person to say or do the thing you think might hurt your therapist’s feelings; as long as you share what’s on your mind or heart with kindness and respect, you can’t go wrong. This is a professional relationship; therapists know that feedback is part of the job.”
–Maddy Lock, AMFT
“Therapists have a unique role in that our work is professional, yet the conversations we have with clients are often deeply personal. Because of that, it can sometimes feel a bit like a friendship, and it’s completely normal to wonder how your therapist might feel if you decide to leave. What’s important to know is that therapists hold professional boundaries—we genuinely care about our clients, but we’re not personally invested in the same way a friend would be. Part of our role is to support you in making the choices that are best for you, even if that means moving on from therapy.”
–Kelsee White, LMFT, LCAS
If you’re feeling torn, that’s okay. The discomfort of this moment doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong; it means you’re being thoughtful.
How can a client bring up ending therapy if they’re conflict-avoidant or struggle with direct conversations?
Ending a relationship of any kind can feel tough and awkward. Many people come to therapy working on conflict avoidance, and this conversation can be a powerful opportunity to grow.
“Sharing what makes the conversation feel scary and what is blocking the honest conversation might be a good starting point. A competent therapist would be able to honor the fear and work through the emotions with the client.”
–George Bitar, Ph.D., LMFT
“This will be great exposure therapy for you then! Sometimes doing a countdown from 3, 2, 1 can help you spit out something that is a struggle to say, and hopefully from there the words and feelings will flow. If you are unsure about whether or not you want to terminate, you can always ask the therapist what their termination process is like and what they think of your progress so far. This can help inform your decision, too.”
–Maddy Lock, AMFT
Therapy is a space to practice brave conversations. Ending therapy — or even questioning it — is part of that work.
Should I schedule a “termination session” to end therapy or is a message enough?
Some clients feel closure through a final session. Others find peace in a thoughtful email. Your goodbye doesn’t have to follow a script. The important thing is that it reflects what you need.
“It depends — an ideal situation would be a termination session so the client and I can ensure discussion and reflection. But in reality, not everyone has the time or finances to schedule, and life just moves on. If a termination session isn’t possible, even a note or email to the therapist would be a nice way to wrap things up. This also helps the therapist close the relationship from a case management and records point of view.”
–Faith Drew, Ph.D., LMFT
“Termination sessions can be a valuable opportunity for clients to reflect on the progress they’ve made, set intentions for the future, and consider how to apply the skills and insights they’ve gained in therapy to their lives and relationships. That said, they aren’t always necessary. Personally, I trust that clients know what feels right for them; if they sense that a final session would be meaningful, I believe it would be beneficial to schedule that with me. If not, that is perfectly fine as well.”
–Kelsee White, LMFT, LCAS
“Depending on the relationship, a final or termination session would be nice. For example, if it’s a client I’ve worked with for a long time, I’d appreciate the conversation. If it’s a client I’ve only seen a handful of times and don’t have a good rapport with just yet, it’s not as big of a deal for them to move on without explanation. Even an email goes a long way.”
–Hanna Rose, LPC, LCMHC
Therapists understand that life, finances, and emotional readiness vary. A kind goodbye — in whatever form — helps you honor the work you’ve done.
How can I keep making progress if I’m switching therapists?
Transitioning therapists doesn’t mean starting over. You carry your insights, resilience, and voice with you — and there are ways to make that handoff even more seamless.
By being open and clear (as much as possible) with their new therapist about their goals and needs, and whatever lessons can be extracted from the previous therapy experience. If a therapist is blindsided by a termination session, oftentimes something broke down in the process way earlier that didn’t allow for an honest and open dialogue (which is more on the therapist to foster and create).”
–George Bitar, Ph.D., LMFT
“If they are open to it, they can sign a release and have their former therapist connect with their new therapist to give background on what they’ve been working on.”
–Hanna Rose, LPC, LCMHC
Progress isn’t lost in the transition. A thoughtful goodbye and a clear re-start can set the stage for meaningful continued growth.
It’s okay to move on from your therapist (promise!)
As you can see, therapists are eager to help their clients, even if it means their therapeutic journey with you has come to an end. A lot of the fears around breaking up with a therapist most likely are wrapped up in what you’re bringing to therapy to work on anyway.
Having an open and honest conversation with your therapist about your needs and desires for change can be a significant step in itself. At the root of all breakups is the importance of communication, honesty, and advocacy, and breaking up with your therapist is no different.