Ending a relationship is never easy, especially the one with your therapist, writes Laura Brzyski for Philadelphia Magazine.

Maybe you have only gone to a few sessions and you don’t feel comfortable with the therapist, or maybe you have had a long relationship with him or her, but now it is feeling stagnant. Is there a good or bad way to go about finding a new therapist?

To see if there are some protocols to follow when you are just not vibing together anymore, Brzyski talked to Amanda White, founder of the Therapy Center for Women. Her practice has offices in Old City, Center City, and Bala Cynwyd.

White emphasized the importance of open communication.

“I recommend avoiding ghosting, if possible! This is not just because your therapist will wonder and worry what happened, but if you decide you want to go back to see your therapist, you want a referral from them, or need your medical records, it is going to be more difficult for you to do so if you ghosted,” she said.

Her rule of thumb is to send an email or call them to let them know if you have only had a few sessions. If you’ve had a longer relationship with them, then you should do the breaking up in person.

Read more tips from Amanda White in Philadelphia Magazine.

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