Summary of Chapter 86: “Endings” – Gestalt Therapy

In Gestalt therapy, endings are seen as much more than simply the final session. They are a meaningful part of the therapeutic process and offer a rich opportunity for growth, reflection, and integration. Endings can stir deep emotional responses linked to past experiences of separation, loss, or abandonment.

Key Points:

• Endings as Emotional Events
• The closing of therapy can bring up powerful emotions for both client and therapist, often reflecting earlier relational patterns. These reactions are seen as valuable material to explore in therapy.
• Therapist Self-Reflection
• Therapists are encouraged to be aware of their own relationship with endings—both personal and professional—so they don’t unconsciously direct the process. This includes recognising any tendency to avoid or rush closure.
• Mutual and Transparent Process
• A good ending is co-created, not imposed. It should involve open conversation about timing, readiness, and feelings around parting ways. Ideally, the process begins well before the final session.
• Supporting Integration
• Therapists help clients consolidate learning, acknowledge changes, and explore how to carry insights into life beyond therapy. This includes revisiting themes, celebrating growth, and preparing for potential future challenges.
• Holding Ambivalence
• It’s normal for endings to involve mixed feelings—relief, sadness, pride, or anxiety. Gestalt therapy makes space to acknowledge and sit with this ambivalence, rather than rushing toward resolution.

• Endings as Contactful Moments
• The final sessions are viewed as a culmination of the relational field between therapist and client. They offer a chance for authentic, present-moment contact, closure, and often, healing of old wounds related to goodbyes.

In short, endings in Gestalt therapy are not a shutdown, but an intentional completion of the therapeutic relationship, approached with honesty, care, and respect. They’re an invitation for both therapist and client to reflect, feel, and grow.

Reference:

Mann, D. (2010). Gestalt therapy: 100 key points and techniques. Chapter 86: Endings. Routledge.

‍