It is true that
saying goodbye in any relationship is difficult, and it seems as though the
greater amount of time you spend with a person, that goodbye becomes even
harder. The counseling relationship does
by no means fall under the category of a normal or typical relationship. On the contrary, counselors and clients
develop a bond that is unique in and of itself.
In everyday life, certain things are said or withheld in regards to
perhaps selfish reasons or hidden motivations.
Counseling is intentionally meant to contrast this. Many individuals who seek out mental health
assistance lack supporting, loving, and empathetic interactions with others or
have little to no access to necessary resources in order to cope with their
current concerns. Through these
relationships, counselors have the ability to facilitate positive change and
assist the client in working towards goals.
When a counselor implements appropriate boundaries and beneficial
techniques/attributes within counseling, the client’s distress is reduced as
time progresses (Wiseman & Tishby, 2014).
It is these factors that clients and counselors form a special
connection. Removal of anything holding
that much significance and that much vulnerability would certainly be difficult
to lose. This is why termination of
counseling sessions is such a sensitive and delicate conversation for
counselors to have with their clients.
Often, clients express feelings of reluctance to end their sessions and
the helping relationship (Moola, 2016).
These reports make it even more evident that the understanding that the
sessions will eventually come to an end be brought up and timing be carefully
considered (Moola, 2016).
Caption: Person,
Girl, Young, Woman, Suitcase, Waiting
URL:
https://pixabay.com/en/person-girl-young-woman-suitcase-731144/
Moola, F. (2016). 251 therapeutic endings: Reflections
on the termination of counselling-based research relationshhips among patients
with cystic fibrosis and their caregivers. Journal
of Cystic Fibrosis, 15, 115.
Wiseman, H., & Tishby, O. (2014). Client
attachment, attachment to the therapist and client-therapist attachment match:
How do they relate to change in psychodynamic psychotherapy. Psychotherapy Research, 24(3), 392-406.
doi: 10.1080/10503307.2014.892646
Nicole,
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree that terminating counseling is difficult for the counselor and client. I am experiencing such in this course where I must terminate my client from my triad and my counselor will terminate me. As the client, it feels as though I am losing a friend and confidante. The counselor is someone who gets paid to listen to you, who otherwise would not do so. The triad is similar, whereas if it was not required, other students would not come to listen to your problems every week. For people who do not have those to listen, it can feel devastating. Thus, this particular session should be treated delicately.
Thanks for the post, Nicole. I agree that terminating counseling can be difficult for some clients and counselors. In my own personal experiences as a client, I have had mixed feelings about termination. Firstly, the name termination can be kind of scary! It just sounds so final. I remember experiencing some anxiety as I wondered if I was ready to face problems without my counselor’s support. However, I also have felt a sense of accomplishment and excitement to see what lies ahead. Honestly, the way in which the counselor facilitated the termination played a significant role in my feeling prepared or not. As future counselors, we have a big responsibility to assist our clients in being able to care for themselves and continue their journey. While challenging, it can also be exciting and fulfilling.
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