LOA in the News

Is it time to break up with your therapist?

By Debra Kissen

Have you recently found yourself contemplating,  “Is it time to break up with my therapist”?

Here are some signs that it is likely a good idea to take a break from therapy:

  • Before going into session you feel more anxiety about what you’re going to talk about than the actual challenges in your life.
  • You begin to come up with a list of potential negative topics to discuss in therapy just to make sure you have content available for your therapist.
  • Your relationship with your therapist fear feels more like one of a friendship than a mental health provider.
  • Your overall functioning is at an acceptable level to YOU.
  • You are worrying about hurting your therapist’s feelings,  so you keep setting up sessions in order to not offend.
  • You find yourself worrying that you don’t have enough distress and challenges in your life to effectively capture your therapist’s attention.

The bottom line is there’s absolutely nothing wrong ( and in fact everything right ) with arriving at a place where your therapist is no longer necessary. I do have a bias, as a psychologist who offers Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for anxiety, towards short-term, action oriented work. Nonetheless, no matter the theoretical orientation of your therapist, you need not feel guilty about telling your therapist you’re ready to take a break and practice coping on your own.  Any reputable therapist will be happy for you and will be available in the future, if and when life gets messier. But for now, it may be a good time to practice self soothing and independent life management.

Dr. Debra Kissen is a licensed clinical psychologist and the CEO and founder of Light On Anxiety CBT Treatment Centers....

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