Therapist is leaving me

[Smile]

She works at a clinic and is leaving to go private.

She gave me one months notice.

I ignored it until now… when we have 2-3 sessions left. She’s leaving in one WEEK. And now I’m falling apart.

How do you deal with this??! I’ve never had to, thank goodness. I’ve left T’s but never the other way around. I’m on shaky ground to begin with and now this.

It’s really not working well for me. I’m not dealing well

 

[Sideways]

How do you deal with this?

Ask for a referral, assuming she can’t continue seeing you at the new practice (they very often can). If this T knows you well, she may be the best source of someone else who would be suited to your therapy goals.

 

[Wendell_R]

I had a therapist give me almost zero notice when she came down with a serious health issue that needed immediate attention. The referrals that she found for me were an incredible blessing--she was better at sifting through some options for me than I was at the time, and I ended up with a very good therapist.

I had another long-term therapist who needed to end her practice, also for medical issues. I had a few months notice. In that case, I found someone on my own, and that worked out really well.

But, there was also a lot of pain. When you do find someone else, it's very helpful to talk to the new person about your feelings on losing your old therapist. That can help bring closure and help you then move forward. Even though my changes in therapist worked out well, these losses echoed other losses in my life. It's important to acknowledge and express the feelings of loss and abandonment and not just focus on moving forward.

Between therapists, remind yourself of what kind of self care works for you, and do your best at finding time for that. Good luck!

 

[Muttly]

You've been given some good advice. Talk about it here and with your therapist. Allow yourself to feel all the feelings that come up. Give yourself time to mourn the relationship. It's hard but can often lead to better things

 

[DharmaGirl]

My therapist left after 5 years of telling me he wasn't going anywhere. I was very, very upset. I talked about it to other therapists and eventually was able to move forward. It does take time to mourn the loss.