Taking flight - Moving on from counselling

A natural part of counselling, especially CBT, is that there is a definitive end point. A certain amount of sessions are agreed with agreed goals and we work towards that end point. Even with the progress that we’ve made, it can sometimes be quite daunting for someone to consider life without the regular sessions and weekly support. You might be curious how we manage that?

Now before we get to the final session, we make sure that we are definitely in a better situation than we were before and that we’ve achieved what we wanted to achieve.

We will typically have seen a dramatic shift in evaluation scores from the baseline scores in the first session to where we are now. Ideally we'll also be able to demonstrate that there’s been a significant improvement with the difference in evaluation scores over a threshold that can’t be explained by chance.

When it comes to a final session in my own practice I work through a relapse prevention sheet with the client. That perhaps sounds a lot more serious than it is, but it’s a reminder of what to look out for and what the client has learned they can do if they feel a downturn. The difference this time, is that they know what they can do to address it.

If a set-back does occur, the RPS also provides a bit of a system for helping the client learn from the set-back and continue to move for forward constructively.

I also offer an optional check-in about a month after we formally wrap up to see how things are going and confirm that we are good to move on.

It can be quite emotional. We’ll have formed a bond over the weeks that we’ve worked together and we really do wish our clients the best.

As I write this, there are a lot of fledglings in the garden, and as cheesy as that metaphor is, it is immensely rewarding to see the progress that clients make and to see them off.

If you’d like to work with me on your mental health, get in touch by completing the online form or emailing me directly at mckellarCBT@gmail.com