Preparing for the end of therapy
A worksheet for reviewing the experience of therapy and preparing for its ending. It makes space for change, unfinished work, mixed feelings and continuity of support alongside a separate relapse prevention plan.
Written by Tarun Vermani, Trainee Clinical Psychologist Last reviewed
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Preparing for the end of therapy
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What has changed
Include changes that matter to you, even if they are small or different from the original goals.
What you want heard
An ending does not mean that every difficulty has gone. You can say if the timing does not feel right.
What continues
Agree what support is actually available. Returning to care is an option to clarify, not a promise of immediate access.
Making the ending your own
Your separate relapse prevention plan can hold warning signs and coping strategies. Keep urgent contacts accessible: if anyone is in immediate danger, call 999. Samaritans on 116 123 offers emotional support, not emergency care.
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When to use ‘Preparing for the end of therapy’
‘Preparing for the end of therapy’ is an interactive cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) worksheet. As a core CBT skill it is used right across the model, with presentations including depression, anxiety, OCD, trauma and low self-esteem, rather than being tied to a single diagnosis.
It is designed to be used within therapy rather than as a standalone self-help tool: a therapist introduces it, works through it collaboratively, and helps make sense of what it surfaces. You can preview the full worksheet above, then assign it digitally for clients to complete between sessions on any device or download it as a print-ready PDF.
How it works
Most people work through it in around 20 minutes. It moves through four short steps:
- What has changed: Include changes that matter to you, even if they are small or different from the original goals.
- What you want heard: An ending does not mean that every difficulty has gone. You can say if the timing does not feel right.
- What continues: Agree what support is actually available. Returning to care is an option to clarify, not a promise of immediate access.
- Making the ending your own: Your separate relapse prevention plan can hold warning signs and coping strategies. Keep urgent contacts accessible: if anyone is in…
Completed on the Formulate platform, your client's answers are saved automatically and shared straight back to you, so you can review them before the next session rather than waiting for a paper copy to come back.
The CBT approach behind it
In common with other CBT methods, ‘Preparing for the end of therapy’ works by noticing the links between situations, thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and behaviour and finding practical ways to change unhelpful patterns. The aim is not positive thinking but a clearer, shared understanding of what keeps a difficulty going and practical, testable ways to change it.
Because it is a CBT tool it stays focused on the here-and-now links between thoughts, feelings, the body and behaviour, and it works best as one part of a wider course of therapy rather than as advice or a diagnosis.
Evidence & sources
This worksheet is grounded in established cognitive behavioural therapy theory and practice. Key sources include:
- Beck, J. S. (2020). Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond. Guilford Press.
- Westbrook, D., Kennerley, H., & Kirk, J. (2011). An Introduction to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: Skills and Applications. SAGE.
For use alongside professional support
Formulate provides educational CBT resources for use with a qualified therapist. They are not a substitute for professional assessment, diagnosis, or crisis care.
If you need urgent help now:
- Emergency services: 999 — if you or someone else is in immediate danger
- NHS 111 (NHS 24 in Scotland): 111 — choose the mental health option for urgent help, in England, Scotland and Wales (in Wales, press 2)
- Lifeline: 0808 808 8000 — for urgent help in Northern Ireland, free, day or night
- Samaritans: 116 123 — free, day or night, 365 days a year
- Shout: 85258 — text SHOUT, free, day or night
- SANEline: 0300 304 7000 — 4pm–10pm, every day
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