What happens when counseling is completed?

  • Discuss with your therapist when and how to complete therapy. Your therapist can recommend the best way to finish.
  • Therapy is often focused on a particular area of difficulty and is not designed to cure all of life’s problems. You will likely have other areas to continue to work on when you finish therapy.
  • Most people see considerable improvement with treatment. Those who have no or minimal symptoms of depression at the end of treatment are most likely to maintain this progress.
  • Once therapy is completed, there is a risk of depression returning over the following months and years.
  • The risk is greatest for those with repeated periods of depression in the past and for those who continue to have symptoms of depression when they finish treatment.
  • The majority (about 3 out of 4) of those who improve while in treatment will stay improved in the year after treatment. However, about 1 out of 4 will have the depression come back during this year.
  • Follow up or booster sessions after therapy is completed reduces the risk of depression returning. These meetings can help you keep up your progress and deal with new life challenges or problems with symptoms. Discuss with your therapist whether follow up would be helpful in your situation.
  • Keeping up your own work on your goals and on self care can help reduce the chance of a return of depression.
  • If you find that symptoms of depression are returning, it is important to see someone for help with this quickly. The person who helped you before may be best. Starting a treatment again may reduce the problems caused by depression.

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Download: Fact Sheet: What Happens When Counseling is Completed

Last Updated: March 12, 2013