TheTherapies
thetherapies.vercel.appGoodbye Letter Guide
Guidance on writing and exchanging goodbye letters, managing endings, and addressing attachment themes in the final phase.
Guidance on writing and exchanging goodbye letters, managing endings, and addressing attachment themes.
Purpose of goodbye letters
Goodbye letters mark the ending of therapy explicitly. They: • Summarise what has been achieved • Name what remains difficult • Address the ending itself and what it evokes • Provide something concrete to take away
Therapist letter elements
• Acknowledge the work done together • Note changes you have observed • Be honest about what remains to be done • Address how the ending might connect to patterns • Express genuine goodbye
Managing the exchange
- Read letters aloud in the final session
- Client reads theirs first, then therapist
- Allow time for emotional response
- Connect any reactions to patterns on the diagram
- Ensure copies are available to take away