Assignment 1: Practicum – Client Termination Summary (Due in Week 11)

Although termination is an inevitable part of the therapeutic process, it is often difficult for clients. However, by discussing termination throughout therapy, you can better prepare your clients for life without you. Once a client has achieved his or her therapeutic goals, termination sessions should be held and documented in a client termination summary. For this Assignment, you have the opportunity to practice writing a termination summary for a client with whom you have worked during your practicum experience.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Develop client termination summaries

To prepare:

• For guidance on writing a client termination summary, review pages 693–712 of Wheeler (2014) in this week’s Learning Resources.
• Identify a client who may be ready to terminate therapy.

Assignment

With the client you selected in mind, address in a client termination summary (without violating HIPAA regulations) the following:

• Identifying information of client (e.g., hypothetical name and age)
• Date the client initially contacted therapist, date therapy began, duration of therapy, and date therapy will end
• Total number of sessions, including number of missed sessions
• Whether termination was planned or unplanned
• Presenting problem
• Major psychosocial issues
• Types of services rendered (e.g., individual, couple/family therapy, group therapy)
• Overview of treatment process
• Goal status (goals met, partially met, unmet)
• Treatment limitations (if any)
• Remaining difficulties and/or concerns
• Recommendations
• Follow-up plan (if indicated)
• Instructions for future contact
• Signatures