Practice Innovations, Vol 9(3), Sep 2024, 181-194; doi:10.1037/pri0000235
Guidance exists for the mental health clinician approaching termination, the bulk of which pertains to mutually agreed upon, planned cessation of treatment that occurs as a collaborative process between client and clinician. Challenges arise, however, when facing a client’s or clinician’s unexpected decision to terminate, necessitating thoughtful analysis of ethical responsibilities, balanced with the acknowledgment that complex termination does not necessitate unreasonable extensions of clinicians’ professional obligations. The ethics codes of the mental health professions each provide general guidance that may be used to flexibly respond in such contexts. This article first reviews this guidance as a foundation for exploring complex termination circumstances, followed by considerations for navigating ethical quandaries therein. General guidance is then provided for proactively preparing for termination, whether anticipated or not. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)