Endings

The ending of a therapy is always a powerful experience for both parties (if not, one might wonder what has been going on). The ending will draw colour and significance both from the particular range of experiences of separation, loss, abandonment, bereavement that have shaped the emotional lives of both patient and therapist, as well as from the experience of various forms of breaks in the therapeutic relationship over time. If there has been an ordinary, good enough, enlivening experience, then the final months, weeks, session and leave-taking will often recapitulate many of the themes that have emerged in the course of the therapy and the two people who have been engaged in this remarkable exploratory encounter will be able to say goodbye to each other with some, and perhaps much, satisfaction at what has been achieved.

It does not always work out like that. We will bring clinical material describing both satisfying and unsatisfactory endings, and there will be an opportunity to bring material of your own for discussion. 

Workshop leaders: Kathy Laurie and Mark Budden