For private practice therapists, planning a leave of absence – be it a maternity or paternity leave, personal leave, sabbatical, or any other type of extended leave – doesn’t have to be overwhelming or stressful. Consider these tips for planning your leave with thoughtfulness and intentionality to make it a more positive experience for both you and your clients.
Sharing the News
1. Give your clients plenty of notice.
There’s no rule for how much notice you should give your clients, but at least two or three months is probably preferable to allow for ample time to process their reactions to the news of your coming absence, make necessary referrals, and prepare them for your leave.
2. Be intentional about how you share the news.
How exactly you tell your clients about your leave is up to you. At a minimum, you should let them know that you will be taking a leave, tell them when the leave will start and when you plan to return, and assure them that the two of you will collaborate in the coming weeks to come up with a plan for while you’re out of the office.
You don’t necessarily need to tell your clients the reason for your leave, but sometimes there’s no way around this. For example, if you are pregnant and you see your clients in person, your belly will eventually give it away!
If you choose to share the reason for your leave, depending on your therapeutic style and how often you self-disclose with your clients, sharing this personal news may feel like a departure from the norm. Be prepared that your self-disclosure may open the door for your clients to ask you follow-up questions. Think ahead of time about how much detail you’re comfortable sharing with your clients. For example, if you are expecting a baby, how do you want to respond if your clients ask you for details like the baby’s sex, whether you’ve chosen a name, your due date, etc.?
3. Consider each client’s history and how the news of your absence might affect them.
Those with a history of abandonment may feel triggered by your leave of absence. If you are expecting a baby, your news could be triggering for your clients with a history of infertility, miscarriage, or child loss.
Most likely, your clients will be supportive and understanding when you share the news of your leave. It’s up to you to welcome your clients to share any other reactions they may be having. Acknowledge that news of your leave was unexpected and encourage your clients to share any reactions that come up now or in the coming weeks leading up to your leave.
As your leave approaches, listen for indications that your clients are feeling abandoned or worried about your leave. It may be hard for clients to bring this up with you directly, so it’s your job as the therapist to listen for these themes and continue to invite your clients to talk to you about how they’re feeling.
If you’re not already in supervision or a consultation group, seeking out consultation with colleagues may be prudent as you plan for your leave.
Making Referrals
Referrals should be made on a case-by-case basis. Use your best clinical judgment to make recommendations to each of your clients. Some of your clients would likely benefit from meeting with another therapist (preferably a thoughtful referral from you) in your stead.
Alternatively, clients who are functioning well and making good progress may prefer to take a break from treatment until your return. In some cases, you and your client might even collaboratively decide that your leave will offer a natural opportunity to wrap up treatment and terminate.
Ideally, by the time you have your final session before your leave, each of your clients who have been given a referral will have already met with their new therapist at least once, or at least have an appointment scheduled with them. This will help the client to feel supported and prepared as you wrap up before your leave. It will also give them an opportunity to share with you how their first session went with the new therapist, and you can address any potential issues that may come up.
Some therapists choose to sit in on this first meeting with their client and the new therapist to help facilitate the transition. To decide whether to do this, you might consider asking your client if they have a preference, as well as talking to the other therapist about it.
Returning from Leave
Understand that you might lose some clients while you’re on leave. Some might prefer to stay with their new therapist to avoid another disruption. Others will have taken a break from therapy and ultimately decide they no longer wish to return, at least not at the moment.
If possible, schedule one or two termination sessions with any clients who decide to end treatment upon your return so you get a chance to review the progress they’ve made, reflect on your work together, and say your goodbyes. Termination is an important part of the therapeutic process, and skipping it can even be harmful to the client.
Key Takeaways
In all, a well-planned leave of absence will benefit both you and your clients. Thoughtful consideration for each of your clients that begins several months before your planned leave will help you to enjoy your time off as you’ll feel assured that your clients are taken care of.
