You'd rather talk to your mother than talk to your shrink about
your mother.
ALSO WORKS FOR: Physical therapists, career coaches.
PASSIVE Don't go back. "I would just leave a message on his or her machine
about wanting to discontinue the therapy," says Charlotte Ford, author of
21st-Century Etiquette ($14,
www.amazon.com). "If he or
she calls back, be honest: `I don't feel like I'm getting anything
out of this. I'm going to try someone new." What also works:
"Sorry, I'm moving."
AGGRESSIVE Grumble about the money. "I told my shrink that I was going to end
my therapy because it was too expensive. She said, 'Your problem
is you don't know who you are. Let's explore Marlo. Who is Marlo?'
I said, 'I don't know, but I'd be happy to give her my bill!'" says
a woman from New York who is not named Marlo.
PREFERRED Say farewell calmly, face-to-face. "Don't just disappear — the
therapeutic thing to do is to express your needs," psychologist
Wayne Sotile says. "It's normal to develop some dissatisfaction
with your therapy. But if your therapist is disrespectful or
you're not getting your needs met, you should move on."
