Working with endings: Therapists’ management of termination in brief psychotherapy

Manuscript (ελληνικά)
Published: Apr 24, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/psy_hps.45340
Keywords:
brief psychotherapy, community mental health services, management of psychotherapy termination, Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis
Antigoni Apostolopoulou
Qualitative Research Centre in Psychology & Psychosocial Wellbeing, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5592-5882
Eirini Paschalidi
Association for Regional Development and Mental Health (EPAPSY)
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5746-559X
Marina Skourteli
Association for Regional Development and Mental Health (EPAPSY)
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1665-379X
Abstract

The termination of therapy within the context of brief psychotherapy, and its effective management, often constitutes a challenge for therapists. The aim of the present study is to explore the experience and management of termination in brief psychotherapy as lived by mental health professionals working within a community setting. Specifically, adopting a phenomenological perspective, the study seeks to examine how therapists experience and make meaning of the ending of brief psychotherapy, as well as the factors that appear to influence the management of termination. Eight (8) mental health professionals with varying levels of clinical experience, working in the field of community mental health services, participated in the study. Data were produced through semi-structured interviews lasting 50–60 minutes. Data analysis was conducted using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), a methodological approach well suited to the exploration of subjective lived experience and meaning-making processes. The analysis yielded themes relating to therapists’ personal histories of loss, the difficulties and challenges encountered in their clinical work, and the use of good practices in the management of therapeutic termination. Overall, the findings highlight the influence of therapists’ personal experiences on the management of endings, as well as the importance of reflection, supervision, and personal analysis in the therapeutic role.

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