Effective Post-Treatment Care

Once you and your provider have decided to cease treatment, what happens next?

Hopefully at this point you are feeling better, are clearer about your life and ready to move on to new challenges. What can you do to keep yourself in a positive direction? Should you have regular check-ups with your therapist? Or should you just close the door on the whole treatment thing and move on?

Recall that attitude is instrumental in successful treatment. It is equally important in post-treatment. Actually, post-treatment is a slightly misleading term. Once you stop seeing your provider you may have completed the formal clinical phase of treatment but technically you remain responsible for practicing the techniques and behaviors learned during the experience. Ending formal treatment means that you and your provider agree that you are ready to manage the treatment process on your own.

Prior to ending treatment, make sure that you have complete understanding of what you must do to carry on the good work you have done. Do not end with your therapist until you are one hundred percent clear about your responsibilities.

Press for specific recommendations if you must, but good clinicians will have provided them already. Ask whether or not it makes sense to come back on a periodic basis (again, a good therapist will cover that without your asking).

Understand that after formal treatment, you should never be on your own to fend for yourself. Your provider should keep themselves available to help with rough spots. Don’t be afraid to call for an occasional appointment. Needing additional help is not an indication of failure on your part, or of a return to where you were prior to treatment. Again your attitude is important – if you view the return visit it as a positive step to stay on track, it will be.

Your ongoing care requires that you follow through with:

  • All that you accomplished in treatment
  • All that you agreed to do post-treatment
  • Putting into practice all that you learned in treatment
  • Developing the skills necessary to continue moving forward (they will have been discussed often during formal therapy).

With a healthy outlook, knowledge and professional clinical treatment, your journey will be productive and you will reach your goals. Remember, it makes sense to ask for directions along the way to stay on the right road.