Repeated terminations: Transferring therapists in psychotherapy.

Therapists engage in transfers-a specific type of termination-with clients who will be continuing treatment with new therapists after they depart. Consequently, new therapists begin treatments in the shadow of the loss of outgoing therapist. These transfer experiences frequently occur in yearlong training settings, where therapists-in-training encounter some of their first therapy experiences and subsequently move on to other training settings or graduation. Transfers also occur in clinical settings when therapists retire, become ill, or need to end the treatment prematurely. In this article, the authors address transfer terminations using attachment theory and the literature applying attachment theory to psychotherapy. The authors incorporate relevant literature, research, and case examples that highlight how therapists can best address these losses and transitions in treatment. This article concludes by offering recommendations for supervisors of students in training settings and detailing some of the unique benefits for clients who experience multiple transfer terminations in treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).