Counselling Skills: Stage 3 Integrative Model Termination Workbook

This assignment is a student learning journal workbook focused on counselling termination skills, specifically stage 3 of a 3-stage integrative model. The workbook guides students through personal reflection on experiences with loss and endings, and provides an understanding of the termination process. It explores different types of termination (client-initiated, counsellor-initiated, and mutual agreement), indicators of readiness, and client reactions to termination, such as sadness, anger, fear, and happiness. Students are required to read articles, answer questions, and reflect on their own experiences to gain a comprehensive understanding of how to effectively manage the transition to termination while meeting the needs of the client. The assignment emphasizes the importance of endings in therapy and life, and aims to equip trainee counsellors with the knowledge and skills to handle terminations professionally and successfully.

Unit Title: Counselling; Relationship Centred Counselling Skills: Stage 3 of the 3
stage integrative model

SKILLS 3
Student Learning Journal Workbook
PART 5
TERMINATION
Student Name: -----------------------------------------------------
Start Date: -----------------------------------------------------
Submission Date: -----------------------------------------------------

Introduction
The termination process in counselling is extremely
important. The counsellor must effectively manage the
transition of termination whilst meeting the needs of the
client. To enable the therapist to be confident,
professional and successful in the termination process,
they must understand the importance of termination
and be flexible and at ease with endings.
Aim of workbook
By the end of this workbook, you should have a
confident knowledge on ‘How a counsellor would
effectively manage the transition to termination, whilst
meeting the needs of the client’. You should be able to
complete a termination plan for the case study Kate.
SECTION 1: PERSONAL REFLECTION
Before you complete any academic reading on
‘terminations in therapy’ it is important to reflect on your
own experiences of loss, endings and terminations in
life. (Remember, some endings have been done to us,
but we have also inflicted a painful ending on to
others).
We have all experienced relationship endings, losses
and terminations which have been painful, this is why,
as trainee counsellors we must recognise how we,
personally, have dealt with these in order to
understand on a more profound level the impact
termination can have on clients and also on ourselves
if we hold on to unresolved issues.
For example, you may have worked with a client for
two months and you believe you have developed a
good working relationship with them as they appear to
be progressing well. Then, you receive a voice
message saying that they will not be returning and they
cancel all appointment bookings. How would you
respond? What would you be thinking?
Or, you may avoid terminating a client as you have a
need to continue nurturing them! Not professional.
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Student Exercise 1:
Please read the
following article
‘Beginnings and
Endings in Therapy
and Life: Two sides
of a Coin’ by Libby
Webber, and answer
the questions set
below.
https://
counsellingresource.c
om/features/
2010/09/29/
beginnings-and-
endings-in-therapy-
and-in-life/
1. With reference to
the article, explain
what beginnings and
endings have in
common.
Type your response
here: child suffering
from mental trauma
evoke robust
emotions like
depression, anxiety,
sadness, excitement,
rejection,
expectation, fear,
loss and anger.
Beginning and ending
what has
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experienced earlier in
life has reflection the
way they expect and
revel in endings.
Whatever is
experienced in past
always affects the
future. They may
experience
nightmares or
repeated memories
of the the particular
event. Practically
whenever a
relationship comes to
its end though
someone's death,
discussion or any
other reason person
involved faces mental
trauma. Loss of
someone make child
feel anxiety,
depression and
sadness. The starting
and ending of
counselling
relationship convey
the equal ability as
some other courting
for all that tough
feeling which has
been experienced
and assumption in
any other case is to
decrease the
intensity and
emotional intimacy
which counselling
relationship may
achieve.
2. What endings,
losses and
terminations may
have occurred in life
for some clients?
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Type your response
here: In most of
cases clients have
faced ending of
relationship due to
any arguments or
silly fights but ending
always gives mental
trauma and pain.
Ending of relationship
makes a person feel
alone. Some clients
had lost their close
one and was still
facing with the
trauma. The person
after loosing
someone who was
very close was not
able self heal and
needed a
counselling. The pain
of loosing someone
also affected their
physical health. Many
client have
experienced job
termination and also
academic termination
and due to this
incident they had lost
their self confidence.
Ending, losses and
termination occurred
in the life of the client
had created a a kind
of fear, pain and thus
clients were suffering
a lot.
Personal Reflection
Question
3. What
losses/endings/termin
ations have you
experienced in life?
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Type your response
here: I have lost my
pet rabbit it was
completely shocking
for me. I am a big pet
lover. Losing my
rabbit was traumatic
for me. I always had
the flashback of
movement spent with
my rabbit. It was just
like a family for me
and its death broken
me down totally and I
was almost facing
depression. I had a
relationship and
breaking with my
partner was a
emotional trauma. I
started feeling alone
and loneliness made
me feel depressive. It
was a time I stopped
meeting people and
being interactive. But
after some days I
consulted to a
counsellor which
really helped me out
and I started living
happily. Consulting a
counsellor was totally
a different experience
but now I totally
believe whenever
anyone is feeling
depression or facing
trauma he should
consult a counsellor.
4. How did these
losses/endings/termin
ations make you feel
and what impact did
they have on your
life?
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Type your response
here:loosing a pet
made me realise that
how much I loved my
rabbit and how
important it was for
me. I lost my pet but I
felt I lost everything in
my life. I was facing
an emotional trauma.
It was very tough
time for me. I started
feeling that nothing is
permanent in life so
we should not have
emotional attachment
with anyone. But time
heals everything and
with the time I
realised that I have to
go with the flow and I
moved on. But
whenever I see
someone playing with
their pet I feel I never
lost my pet. I am still
a pet lover and love
playing and feeding
pets.
5. Losses, endings
and terminations can
be very painful but
hopefully most are
resolved by the
individual. What loss,
ending and/or
termination is still
unresolved? What
still hurts?
Type your response
here:I rescued a
street cat and it died
within only 5 days it
left me in pain. When
I rescued it it was a
small baby cat but it
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could not survive
without its mother
and died. As I am a
pet lover loosing a
baby cat within few
days only was
traumatic for me but
after some days my
parents made me
understand it
happens because
their species do not
have such a longer
life span. Then I
realised that I have to
control my emotions
because if I will not
do so I will not ever
able to get rid of my
pain. Then I started
controlling my
emotions.
6. Have you had to
terminate a
relationship? Explain
how this felt and was
it different from
having someone
terminate a
relationship with you?
Type your response
here:Yes I had end
up a relationship with
someone who is very
important for me.
Ending a relationship
with any one was not
easy. I had to face
lots of emotional
barriers. Which felt
me very bad. I was
feel very stress and
sometime I was feel
that there is nothing
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in this world. I was
feel like the end up of
the world. I was also
feeling like
depression in those
days. Loss of a
relationship is kind of
loss in which
heartbreak ,
confusion , stress,
depression like
feeling are very
common.
7. With reference to
the online article,
explain what the
author means by a
‘good ending’.
Type your response
here: for author, a
good ending means
where the client is
satisfied with the
outcome of the
counselling. A
counselling where
counsellor and client
both are able to
exchange there
feelings that what
patient has received
and how helpful the
therapy was to him.
For a counsellor it is
very important to
know about the client
and get the
appreciation at the
time of termination
then only it is
considered as a good
ending. The problem
of client should be
resolved. Story
shared by the client
always a indicator
that now patient is
comfortable sharing
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his own feelings and
problems. A good
ending means where
counsellor also has a
opportunity to say
about the counselling
process.
SECTION 2:
UNDERSTANDING
THE TERMINATION
PROCESS
You will be required
to read over the text
below and answer
questions on each
section.
Functions of
Termination
Termination refers to
the conclusion of the
counselling process
upon the will of the
client, the counsellor,
or a mutual decision.
It is the conscious
awareness and
preparation of ending
each session and
ultimately the entire
relationship.
Termination at the
end of counselling is
the final stage of the
counselling process
and involves
maintenance of
changes made and
autonomy of the
client
Three Types of
Termination
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1. Client Initiated
Termination
This is when the
client determines the
end of therapy. This
can happen in 3
ways:
i) The client
experiences some life
event that forces the
termination of
counselling e.g. loss
of job, moving etc.).
This is also known as
premature
termination.
ii) Client articulates
their desire or
readiness to end the
counselling
relationship. Most
often this is because
they feel they have
met their goals.
iii) When the client
stops coming to
therapy or does not
come to the last
session (no show).
This is also known as
premature
termination.
Premature
Termination
Premature
Termination is one
that occurs during the
phases of Building a
Counselling
Relationship or
Working in a
Counselling
Relationship and is
client--initiated.
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