The ending phase of therapy can be complicated, holding opportunities to process growth and transformation on the one hand, while also grappling with grief, pain and loss on the other.
In this workshop we will address the significance and process of terminations and endings in psychotherapy, with the use of different theoretical perspectives and focus on the elements of the therapeutic relationship.

Meet the expert
Dr Avantika Bhatia is a senior lecturer of counselling at University of East London, and teaches at NYU London. As a practising psychotherapist for 15 years she utilises psychodynamic/relational therapy with a focus on multicultural and social justice considerations. Avantika received her masters in rehabilitation counselling and PhD in counselling psychology from the University of Maryland (UMD) and masters in clinical psychology from Delhi University. Her PhD research was on the termination phase of therapy, a topic on which she has published a number of articles and conducted training programmes.

Learning objectives

• Gain an understanding of the current theory and research on psychotherapy termination.
• Begin to consider ways to approach termination and pay attention to client dynamics during the termination process.
• Reflect on how counsellor experiences with endings can contribute to the termination phase of psychotherapy.