Reflection on Termination Issues

Reflection on Termination Issues
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Reflection on Termination Issues
Social workers need to have a good therapeutic relationship with the client, but it will eventually come to an end once the client has attained their goals. Termination is a crucial stage in the helping process. It is the final stage whereby the client is confident that they can follow the future plans and they can live independently without depending on the assistance of the social worker. However, the approach used by the social worker in handling the termination can have both legal and ethical implications. I believe that it is essential to terminate the therapeutic relationship in a good way that supports client care while preventing allegations of abandonment.
The main objective for a social worker is to improve their client’s lives, and I think it is best to terminate the social worker-client relationship once there is consensus that the client does not need assistance. Termination occurs after analyzing the progress made towards goal attainment. Termination can also occur abruptly based on the client’s request. It is important to introduce it early during the sessions so that the client is aware of all the treatment sessions’ phases. Hepworth (2017) points out that “the notion of ending is often introduced at the beginning of service when the social worker discusses the likely duration of care, the number of sessions…” (p. 572). Based on this statement, it is critical to discuss the client's treatment goals and the expected time frame for the sessions. As part of the long-or-short-term therapy approaches, successful termination relies on preparing clients sufficiently to continue accomplishing their goals without the social worker’s help. It is essential to have a transition to prepare the client.
I believe termination will be a success by considering several tasks. The first step is analyzing the service provided and whether the goals have been achieved. This ensures that the termination occurs at the right time when the client has fully gained from the sessions. The next step is choosing the right time to implement termination. It can be challenging to determine the current juncture to terminate the relationship if the client has a recurrent problem. However, it is crucial to pick the right time, ensuring that it would benefit the client. The third step is mutually resolving any emotions that could arise during the process of termination. I believe some clients might get a close attachment with the social worker, and they could want to continue with the relationship. Despite this, it is vital to deal with such emotions by ending the relationship professionally. The last step involves plans where the social worker can discuss with the client about the gains achieved and how to continue improving even with the absence of the social worke...