How to Fire Your Therapist

If you aren't happy with the quality of service you receive from your therapist, then you really should find someone that you think could serve you better. However, telling someone that you have shared personal details with that you would prefer to share those with someone else can be quite difficult. Use some of the tips below to manage your anxiety as you assess and fire your therapist.

Ask yourself what you expect from your therapist. Is your therapist not attentive enough? Do they seem disinterested or are they uneducated in the areas you are working on?

Would you recommend your therapist to anyone? Aside from protecting your own privacy, is there any other reason you wouldn't recommend your therapist?

Are they pushing you into areas that are making you uncomfortable? If this is the case then you really need to ask yourself if you want to get away from them because your needs aren't being met or because you are dealing with other issues in your therapy that make you uncomfortable? If you get a new therapist every time you reach touchy ground, you could waste a lot of time making very little progress.

Is it possible to make things work with your therapist? Keep in mind that you are not in a relationship. You are paying someone to help you sort things out and develop healthy ways of handling life. However, we sometimes get so confused by our emotions that we end up walking away from healthy situations just because we aren't used to them.

Now that you've thought about the reasons you want to fire your therapist, it's time to decide how you want to do it. Every person has their own level of comfort with these issues, so you need to deal with the situation in the way that works best for you.

Take a look at your needs. You're the one paying for therapy. If you aren't getting what you need from your therapist, then you are essentially just paying them because you want to be nice. Not only is this not making any progress in your therapy, but it may actually make things worse as your level of discomfort gets worse.

Discuss your decision with your therapist. This may not be possible or comfortable in all situations, but it can be great for your progress towards being more assertive. Your therapist may not be pleased with your decision, but will hopefully retain a professional demeanor and off you well wishes. If the therapist has actually done something that made you uncomfortable, this conversation may even help them to adjust their techniques.

Write a letter. Sometimes it's just easier to say things using the written word instead of the spoken word. Writing things out allows you to organize your thoughts without the pressure of face to face confrontation.

You can also cancel all future appointment over the phone, speak with their supervisor or just not show up, but since these are not the most direct methods, they might not be the healthiest methods for you to choose either. Base your decision on what's good for you and be honest with yourself as you do it. If you're going to walk out the door, do so in a way that is progress for you.