IMPORTANCE OF THE ENDING SESSION. HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE END OF THE THERAPEUTIC PROCESS, FAMILY AND SYSTEMIC PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This paper, written from a family and systemic perspective, examines the final session of a therapeutic process in family and systemic psychotherapy and it’s organized around the topics about characteristics and tasks that need to be taken in account while preparing for the ending session. Endings are about a shift and transition between one state to another, often accompanied with feelings ranging from excitement for the future to loss. Endings are generally hard in human relations and therefore they are often being avoided. Family and systemic therapy are not exceptions. There are different types of endings in family therapy. In an ideal case the ending is planned, carefully thought, tasks that are important for finishing are done, goals that are set are achieved and the decision for ending the therapy is from both sides (client and therapist). In this case the end of the therapy comes totally naturally and spontaneous. However, in family therapy endings are often inadequate. The purpose of this paper is to enumerate and discuss different tasks for completing the final session and their significance for the outcome of the therapy.
Having in that in mind, we start this paper with overview of most common reasons for ending the therapy and the review on the specific systemic approach to ending therapy. The main focus in this paper is on the steps on how to prepare for the last session. In this sense we talk about the importance of constant monitoring of progress in therapy, summary during therapy, emphasizing progress in therapy, generalization of what is learned in therapy and how it can be used later. We also stress out the importance of acceptance (internalization) of the therapist's opinion, observation of the end of the therapy from the point of view of other ends in life, saying goodbye, discussion of conditions for return to therapy, consideration of further referral and defining the availability of the therapist after treatment.
The end of therapy is generally viewed by psychotherapists as a complex stage of the psychotherapy where the process and progress of psychotherapy are typically reviewed and goals are developed for the future. The stages discussed here can help us prepare for the end of the therapeutic process, but they can also guide us in preparing for each subsequent session. In a word, we should lead each session and finish it as if it were our last, because the client does not always plan in advance whether to continue or not. It is necessary to review what has been done so far, emphasizing all the positive changes and completed challenges and goals, preparation for using the learned techniques during the therapeutic process in the daily life of the client. Certainly, it is important to build up the strengths and capacities of the clients to deal with new unforeseen events and situations that will be faced and should be dealt with in the future.
This topic is so important and necessary, it is very little processed in the professional literature comparing it with other topics and titles, which was certainly another motivating challenge for me to dedicate to it.