The Counselling Relationship is a working and personal relationship between you and your counsellor. It is a relationship built on respect, trust, cooperation, and motivation. These elements are necessary for growth and change to occur. What happens then when I want to stop coming for counselling?
Although this counsellor-client fit is approximated at the first session, it takes time to build such a relationship. As such, counsellors are trained to treasure this relationship within and beyond the counselling process. It is a special bond between 2 people who are close enough to connect to one another and yet distant enough to recognize each one’s individuality and uniqueness.
As soon as you register as a client, you become a Grace Counselling Centre active client. When the relationship is terminated, the client file is archived and the person is no longer identified as a GCC client. Chances are you will be asked to fill up a new registration form in your next visit.
Common Reasons for terminating a counselling relationship:
- You feel that you have already reached the counselling goals
- Feeling the Financial Strain
- Time and scheduling Issues
- Frustrations from the pace of the counselling process
- Frustrations from the methods used by the counsellor/centre
- Frustrations regarding the counsellor
- Simply wanting a time off
Whichever the reason, we encourage you to inform the counsellor of the centre supervisor as this will greatly help improve the services and the profession in itself.
How to do it?
Communication is gold: Just inform your counsellor (or the supervisor). Whether through text, through a call, through email, or through an exit session.
We are well aware of the professionality of the relationship and we are aware that you have the right to your own decision and the need to terminate the relationship at any time – with or without any reason. We can guarantee you that no one’s feelings will get hurt.
What not to do:
- Please DO NOT tell your counsellor that you can’t make it this week then never answer their calls again. Anything related to dodging your counsellor’s or centre’s call/messages is not a good idea. For most cases, we simply leave this case alone and proceed to auto-termination. However, for some chosen cases, cutting off communication with your counsellor without a clean exit MAY trigger the EMERGENCY PROCEDURES and have the centre contact your registered EMERGENCY NUMBERS. You do recall filling up the form with the emergency contacts and numbers, right? When this happens, the counsellor and the centre would have assumed that an accident or an incident of self-harm have taken place. It is the professionals’ ethical duty to inform the significant people/authorities.
- Please DO NOT agree or schedule any bookings and then not show up. This can be very disruptive to the counselling roster and the room schedulings.
What is auto-terminate?
As stated in the counsellor-client agreement form, auto-termination of the counselling relationship occurs when:
- The client has not responded to the centre’s calls and messages for a month.
- The client has not settled their overdue bills for 3 months.
Can I come back after Termination?
Yes, you can. We will be more than happy to work with you again. However, Grace Counselling Centre reserves the right to deny our services to anyone. We will provide proper referrals to those we deny our services from.
In summary, as with all counselling methods and processes, the key is communication. Respectful adult communication that doesn’t use guilt, intimidation, or any form of deceit. If you don’t think counselling is for you, you can freely let your counsellor know. If you want to switch to another counsellor or even to another counseling centre, then by all means, we are more than happy that you are taking charge of your life and your decisions. We would simply say: “God bless you, go for it!”