When we complete something, we usually already know about it in advance, we are preparing to say goodbye to someone or something, we are ready to say “thank you and goodbye.” Everyone experienced such farewell rituals in kindergarten, school, etc. But how is it customary to end a psychotherapeutic relationship? What reasons, rules and traditions have already existed for decades? The psychologist knows how important the first and last meeting is for psychotherapy, how this affects the effectiveness of the entire process. Completeness affects: • the client’s full acceptance of responsibility for himself and the ability to rely on his own strength • the stability of positive changes. Reason for termination. To make a decision to terminate, the psychologist and the client may have different reasons. When the decision to terminate is made by the psychologist: - goals achieved - lack of progress in therapy - the client has experienced insight, understanding of himself and his problem - reduction of symptoms, anxiety - change in behavior for the better - when active actions were started with new behavior related to the client’s problem When the decision to complete is made by the client: - client resistance - misunderstanding of the possibilities of psychotherapy - experiencing trauma, pain and humiliation in the study of “I” - experiencing a crisis or dead end in psychotherapy - feeling that he does not need a psychologist - improvement in condition - client moves on to active action on the problem Frequency of meetings Perhaps there is a need to reduce the frequency of meetings. If during the period of work on the problem meetings were once a week, then meetings can be scheduled once every two weeks. The intervals between meetings are becoming longer. This is also necessary in order to make sure that the necessary changes occur, are consolidated and the client copes with the problematic part of his life. How to discuss the completion of the psychotherapy process. Preparations are being made for the last meeting, it is discussed in advance. At the last meetings, the psychologist makes a generalization, substantiates the completeness of the psychotherapy process. Questions for discussion (what the psychologist asks): - did the psychologist answer the questions asked? - what did you get from psychotherapy? - what do you want to get, what to work on next? - when do you Are you planning to complete psychotherapy and schedule your last meeting? - Can you continue to work on yourself in the future or do you still need my help? - Let’s discuss your achievements from psychotherapy. When the client says that he now feels better, that he has received answers to his questions, the psychologist begins to discuss the results of psychotherapy. This dialogue does not free the psychologist to express his own thoughts, as he thinks. The client’s decision will not always coincide with the psychologist’s understanding of the situation. “Open door” This metaphor is often used by psychologists at the last meeting. The psychologist reports that he sees the client’s results and successes, understands that the client has completed this joint part of the work on himself and says that his “doors are always open” for further meetings, that there is always the possibility of returning. If a psychologist is not ready to continue working with a client in the future, he may not invite further cooperation or immediately recommend another specialist to the client. Successful psychotherapy, when completed, opens up new opportunities for the development of the client himself, and then the completion becomes the beginning.