How to Deal with Changing Therapists

By Marianne Wylie, MSW, RSW

The relationship between client and therapist takes time and effort to build. Once you do feel comfortable, you will likely have shared very personal details about yourself, making it difficult to move on to another therapist. 

From time to time and for many reasons, clients are faced with the dilemma of seeing a new therapist after learning to trust their first one. Common reasons for this transition include a job change, educational leave, a change in role in the organization, illness, a move, or other personal issues that have to do with the therapist themselves and not the client.
 
Other times, the therapist may decide that the client would benefit from seeing another provider that has more experience or specialized training working with the client’s specific issues, or may have to recuse themselves from treatment if there is a conflict of interest.
 
Regardless of the reason, this can be a time of sadness and loss for you. You may feel worried about meeting with someone new and opening up to them. This is normal. But don’t fret, there are some real benefits that can come out of this change for you and your treatment. After all, when one door closes, another must open.
 
Some Positives to Changing Therapists:

• Opportunity to Evaluate & Celebrate Progress – Sometimes we have the opportunity with the previous therapist to evaluate the progress made so far. This enables you to see how far you’ve come and what else you would like to work on. If this is not an option, it can often be done with the new therapist. For example, if you are transferring therapists but staying with the same organization, you can consent to your previous therapist consulting with the new one and bringing them up to speed on your progress.
  • You can even share with the new therapist how far you’ve come, which gives them a chance to know what life was like when you first entered counselling. Finally, now that you have evaluated your progress it is important to celebrate that progress! It takes hard work and you deserve to reap the rewards!

 

• Re-create the treatment plan with a fresh set of eyes – Every therapist is a little different, which can be a good thing. While your previous therapist’s style and knowledge was great for you at the time, meeting with a new therapist who likely has some additional knowledge and their own style can help you with your treatment goals and progress even further. I like to think that healing happens in chapters. This is simply a new chapter in the healing process.
  
  
• Ending with a therapist mirrors natural endings – The therapeutic relationship acts as a model for healthy relationships in our everyday lives. There are boundaries, respect, and care in the relationship between you and your therapist. It is normal for relationships to come and go (e.g., friendships, death, divorce, etc.). Like many connections in our lives, at some point, the therapeutic relationship must come to an end (or even a pause!). And that ending does not have to mean a loss of trust and respect between you, or feelings of regret for trying to connect in the first place. It can be celebrated as meaningful – moving on to the next chapter in your story.

 
Endings can be hard and sometimes we may not know how to cope effectively. Experiencing the ending of the relationship with your therapist can provide an opportunity to learn healthy ways of viewing endings and coping with them. Be sure to share your feelings with your new therapist if you miss your old one. The best therapists will help you to safely acknowledge, explore, and validate your feelings to help you adapt and cope effectively.

Meet the Therapists at KMH