If you start to feel like you’re falling again, seek out another therapist right away.

Yes, as @Restful said, I would ask your therapist for a referral to another therapist, so that you can continue your therapy without interruption.

I am on my fifth therapist. And my current one is retiring, so I have now been switching to my sixth one.

It sounds to me that you may need to continue therapy, and there's nothing wrong with that! I have been in therapy 25 years now and it continues to help me a lot. It's someone I can talk to each week that I can be completely honest with, and who guides me into choosing what is best for me to do to live a happier life.

I have also been on medication for 25 years... and plan to stay on it. May I ask why do you have to go off your medication? If it is helping you, I would suggest staying on it.

You DO have complete control over this situation. Tell her that you need a referral and that you would like to continue therapy and medication because you see how it is helping you.

i was discharged from pro psychotherapy to therapy maintenance in 2k. with the maintenance being the daily use of tools i learned in psychotherapy and active maintenance and use of my therapy peer support network. i take my daily maintenance very seriously. without that daily maintenance, i do start spiraling into my old dysfunctional habits with sneaky ease.

stay brave, livi. give her a whirl and see how she twirls.
keep us posted. you are not alone.

I’m not sure why your therapist is discharging you but my hope is it is because she feels you are ready and that you accomplished your therapy goals. Everyone is different. I have been in therapy twice. Saw two therapists in my life for a certain period of time. Some people might need more. Or want more but it’s completely up to you. You can always restart therapy at any point in your life if you feel it’s necessary.

I think it’s normal to feel nervous about stopping therapy. I have felt that. I just tried to practice all the therapeutic tools I learned during therapy. I also find peer support like DS to be a form of therapy. Sometimes we have to take chances and put some faith in ourselves, you know?

Thank you all for your advice. My therapist has decided to discharge me because she feels like I have accomplished all of the goals we set in the beginning of therapy. I do agree with that. We definitely have. She did say that therapy should not be a life long thing. I definitely have come a long way. I am nervous to stop therapy. I guess that is normal and to be expected. If I see that things start getting worse again I will find another therapist right away. I may try EMDR therapy which she referred me to several months back if things start to get bad again. As far as the medication goes I have not stopped it yet. I don’t have a follow up with my psychiatrist until August. But he did say that the goal was for me to stop the medication once I successfully completed therapy. I am not 100 % sure yet if that is the best option. But I do still have some time to decide.

I'm guessing your therapist feels you are much better, but 1.5 years in therapy is not that long at all. Life is continuous ups and downs, and we all need a little help. If I were you, but of course, it's up to you, seek out help somewhere else too. You will need a little help along the way. Good luck!!

Good for you! Nervous is normal.

I think the duration is all individual and situational, contingent on diagnosis, goals, and progress.

Both the times I was in therapy we’re for less than 6 months each. So, it depends on what you are trying to accomplish and what your needs are.

Wish you the best!

Thank you both for your advice I think I will give it a month or so and see how I feel. If I start to feel like I need to continue therapy I will. I definitely won’t wait until things get worse. Thanks again for responding and sharing your thoughts.

As a member who had three years of therapy to finish the plan of treatment with CBT (cognitive behavior treatment/therapy), I can vouch for the fact that finishing a plan that you set up in the beginning is a time to take a step outside of the comfort zone, and see for yourself what you want now.

Good work on your part, and your therapist giving you the boost of self worth-you can do this!

Thank you so much for the encouraging words!