is hard to do.
I quit OT and speech therapy today!
It is never easy to break up with your child’s therapist. I have sadly researched how to break up with therapists in the past. I have broken up with therapists in the past as well as currently. Various reasons can make you break up with a therapist. Some of my breakups happened because
- my son didn’t make gains within a 6 month period
- inability to make a positive bond with my son or me during a period
- unable to service our family therapy needs
- therapist can not bill insurance
- therapist has to change from home therapy to center therapy
- therapist moves locations
- lots of absences or call outs over 6 months
So, why I broke up with my speech and occupational therapists today…
Many factors took place into this decision. When we started therapy almost two years ago, I told myself that I would drive the 18 miles one way for the 60 minutes of therapy because that was what doctors recommended. I was driving from work 14 miles to my house, to pick up both kids and drive the 18 miles to the therapist. Then drive home in rush hour traffic while my kids eat a fast food dinner in their car seats. When I started this journey I also promised myself that I would look for a closer therapist with more availability. That’s the largest factor. Then there are other factors like the constant fighting between my two children and my son’s resistance in cooperating with going in the building. Another secondary issue was essentially a plateau in growth. My son was basically making slow growth and had plateaued. In reflection, I listened to the recent evaluations and both therapist see him making big gains but not making marked gains according to the assessment required for reevaluation. The primary problem for my son continues to fall into staying on task for non-preferred activities.
So, instead of continuing to push and push with the therapy. I took a step back and broke up with my therapist to honor myself as a mother and the decision I made for my son. I also was really enjoying my Wednesday afternoons with my kids relaxing! I gave myself permission (with a little push) to stop running around and just work on our life environment.
Tips for breaking up with your child’s therapist:
- give the therapist a heads up regarding your concerns to try to solve them
- if you can’t resolve the problems then decide on an end date, like a 2 week notice
- always break up in person or over the phone
- sometimes face to face or over the phone isn’t possible, write a thank you note via email or mail that gives a reason for your break up
- trust your gut decision
Best of luck breaking up with your therapist!
Ruthfulness 