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Key points
- In the final session of counseling, a client and counselor may want to review the key takeaways from their work together.
- People have a tendency to cram in as much benefit as possible when the end is near. Counselors and clients may want to indulge this tendency.
- After the final session is over, clients and counselors should take the time to reflect on what they learned from the experience.
The client says, “I think this will be our last session for a while.” (S/he appended “a while” to soften the blow.)
Or the client doesn't overtly state it's the last session, but does so by implication, for example, “Now, as I’ll be sallying forth without training wheels, thank you for helping me accept myself.”
Here are my thoughts on making the most of the final session.
Tips for the Final Counseling Session
The acceleration effect. Knowing that the end is nigh, there’s a tendency to cram in as much benefit as possible—a corollary of Parkinson’s Law: The work contracts to fill the time allotted. Whether you're the counselor or the client, indulge the tendency. Cram in as much as you can, while you can.
Review the major takeaways. Too often, when I ask a client who has had counseling or therapy with another counselor, “What have been your useful takeaways?” the answer usually is just one or two short statements such as “Trust my gut,” “Don't blame my failings on my parents” or some such. So, even if you gravitate to thoroughness, in the final session, try to distill.
For example, if you’re the counselor, you might ask, “So, what do you think are one, two, maybe three important takeaways from our work together?” If you’re the client, you might ask the counselor, “Would you mind if I try to summarize what I most want to remember from our sessions?” Consider writing down the takeaways, keeping them on your desk and rereading them daily so those ideas, like so much learning, don't fade from memory, leaving you vulnerable to your former unproductive thinking or behavior.
"Email me." I usually invite my clients to email me. Typical wording: "I want you to know that I'm still in your corner, so feel free to email me if you have a quick question or even just to give me an update on how you're doing."
Lessons learned. After the final session is over, both client and counselor are wise to—unfettered by the other person’s presence— think, “What should I learn from this experience about myself and about how I should interact?"
I hope that at least one of these ideas will help you maximize the potential and avoid the pitfalls of the final session. Previous posts address issues in the first session and in middle sessions.
I read this aloud on YouTube.
