Ending a Patient-Therapist Relationship

[sherbu]

My question involves medical malpractice in the state of: Georgia

May be more of an ethical question right now..not to the level of malpractice yet.

If one is in counseling for 2 years for severe depression, is it either unprofessional or unethical for the counselor not to make you aware of the importance of easing you out of the counseling relationship. Counseling was not working, in counseling for 2 years, developed strong trust and confidence and dependence on counselor and counselor was well aware of that, client confided every detail of most of their life, client allowed counselor to read entire journals written in daily. Client said they were not coming back. Client said they were not coming back several times but always changed mind and went back and therapist accepted it. Counselor probably should have ended counseling a long time before this happened for the reason that counseling wasn't working and counselor knew this. After client emailed and said was definitely not coming back, counselor emailed: sorry it didn't work out...good luck to you -- thus destroying the trust/confidence client had felt and also feeling violated of all feelings/emotions confided in the counselor and emotionally upset and harmed further. Is what this counselor did considered professional or unethical in any way?

[Mr. Knowitall]

So this person went to a counselor for years, stopped going to counseling, and decided to restart counseling. The counselor welcomed the person back. The person then again decided to stop counseling. The counselor said, "sorry it didn't work out...good luck to you". The person chose to interpret that innocuous statement as somehow "destroying the trust/confidence" they felt and chose not to again return to the counselor?

Sorry, no, there's nothing wrong with telling a client who has twice ended the relationship, "sorry it didn't work out...good luck to you". There is nothing in that statement that objectively relates to trust or confidence, and there is nothing in the statement that suggests that the client could not again return for more counseling if she chose.

[sherbu]

There is something very hurtful about that statement. I'll leave it at that. Mr. Knowitall? Really?

[Disagreeable]

Rather than a lawyer, I think you should consult a therapist on this issue.

[Beth3]

There is something very hurtful about that statement. That's the interpretation you put on the therapist's comment. You chose not to see her any longer and she wished you well. There isn't anything at all harmful about that.

Is what this counselor did considered unprofessional or unethical in any way? The counselor did nothing wrong whatsoever.

[MissALC]

Absolutely not. There is nothing unethical or unprofessional about how the counselor responded to your e-mail that ended the relationship.

Try putting yourself in the therapists shoes for a second. The client (you) left the practice several times and counselor took the client back several times. (Lucky because most wouldn't have done so.) Then the client emails and states "client emailed and said was definitely not coming back, counselor emailed: sorry it didn't work out...good luck to you --".

I don't see the problem here?? What were you expecting from the counselor that has been told by her client that they were absolutely not going to return? Answer that question by putting yourself in the counselors position. What response would have been appropriate (just curious) in your mind?

You wrote "thus destroying the trust/confidence client had felt and also feeling violated of all feelings/emotions confided in the counselor and emotionally upset and harmed further." What? WHY... your reaction is actually one that does not make sense with what you stated in the email?

Remember.... YOU ended the relationship. All the counselor did was confirm and wish you luck. Totally appropriate

You should learn/read about appropriate client/counselor boundaries.

[Disagreeable]

Necropost.....