Is It Okay To Pause Therapy? Understanding The Risks And Benefits

Attending therapy sessions regularly can be an important part of improving and maintaining your mental health. Sometimes, everyday life or real-life situations  life get in the way, though, and you may find that you need to step away for a short time. You might also feel the need for a break from the emotionally taxing work of counseling if it is especially taxing emotionally. Is it alright to pause therapy in these situations? And how can you minimize the impact on your progress in treatment?

Is it okay to pause therapy?

When you plan ahead and handle it carefully, a pause in therapy or mental health care doesn’t necessarily have to negatively affect your course of treatment. Some may even benefit from taking time to reflect and gain perspective on what they’ve learned so far and how they want to move forward, which may improve their overall well-being. If you decide you want to pause, it may be helpful to give your therapist ample notice, and you may want to discuss how you can continue to work on your mental health while you’re away. With the right preparations, taking a break from therapy doesn’t have to derail your treatment or stall your personal growth.

Why pause therapy?

Although regular participation in therapy sessions is often important for getting the best possible treatment outcome, there may be times when it’s appropriate to press pause. Here are some common reasons clients may request breaks from mental health counseling:

Scheduling difficulties with mental health therapy

You may be feeling swamped with work or family responsibilities to the point that it feels impossible to fit counseling sessions into your schedule. This may not be an ideal situation for a pause, since mental health care can be even more important when the pressures of everyday life are mounting up. In these cases, online therapy may be easier to fit into your schedule than in-office therapy, given that you don’t have to commute to a therapist’s office. However, you may decide that if you also can’t fit online therapy into your schedule at this time, the stress of trying to make time for therapy outweighs the benefits. In that case, it may make sense to wait until things are a bit less hectic and schedule a limited break with the guidance of your current therapist.

Life events

Another reason you might feel the need to take a break is if you’re undergoing a major life transition, such as having a child, moving to a new city, beginning a new job, or preparing to get married. These major changes and real-life situations can impact many areas of your life, and you may feel that you need time to adjust to the new situation and reassess your schedule. 

If you do take a break for this reason, once again, it may be worth considering what you can do to maintain your mental wellness during this time. Even very positive life changes can be major sources of emotional fatigue and stress and put strain on relationships, and therapy can be a self-care tool that may be helpful when you’re navigating through such changes. 

Travel

You might also have travel plans that will take you away from therapy for an extended period. This could be something you plan yourself, like a long vacation or an extended trip, or something that comes up, like a temporary out-of-town work assignment. Note that travel may not always force you to pause therapy. If you get counseling through an online service like BetterHelp, you can connect with your treatment provider anywhere you have internet connection.

Financial strain

In an ideal world, no one would have to interrupt mental health care due to lack of funds. But in reality, people sometimes have to make hard choices about whether therapy sessions are affordable for them. However, you might want to talk with your treatment provider before pausing for this reason to explore your options. In some cases, a therapist may be able to offer temporary reductions in cost for clients who are having financial difficulty. Also, some online therapy services offer a sliding scale fee structure to treat people of all income levels.

Recharging emotionally

Therapy sometimes calls on us to confront traumatic events, emotional blockages, or uncomfortable realizations about ourselves. Although this process may be necessary for healing, it can also be emotionally exhausting at times. After a particularly intense series of sessions, you might feel the need to press pause. Common signs that you may benefit from a pause could include increased stress or anxiety. You may feel that it would be helpful to take time to recharge emotionally and sort through your feelings about what’s come up so far in therapy. This can be a good time to focus on other aspects of your life that could improve mental health, such as exercise and mindfulness. 

If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.

Before deciding that this is a sign you need a break, you might mention this concern to your therapist, who may adjust therapy as needed or help you form a plan to take care of yourself during a break.

Is it okay to pause therapy?: Assessing whether to continue

Different people can will have different experiences in therapy, and the length of time needed for treatment can vary widely from one person and situation to the next. Some people may need longer-term treatment, while others may find that they make significant progress in a shorter amount of time. The American Psychological Association reports that around 15 to 20 sessions are often sufficient for recovery for 50% of patients. If you think you’ve experienced the positive results you were seeking, you may decide that taking a pause on therapy would make sense for you. 

Common signs it might be time for a break

Although there are many benefits to attending ongoing therapy sessions, there are also situations where a break may be beneficial. For some, a break may be short, pausing only a single session, for others, a more extended break may be needed. It can be helpful to consult with your therapist before making the decision to take a break. 

Signs that it is time for a break can vary from person to person. Some common signs that it may be time for a break from therapy may include: 

• You have met your goals–If you started therapy for a specific reason and you feel like you have gained new insights, tools, and stability you need, it may be a natural time to pause. 
• Repeating the same conversations–When sessions become repetitive, it might mean that you have gotten what you can from this phase of therapy. This may be a sign to take a break to gain perspective and practice what you have learned in real-life situations. 
• Feeling emotionally drained after each session–Therapy can be challenging, but if you are feeling like you are overwhelmed or exhausted after each session, it could be a sign that you need a break. Taking a short break or slowing your pace can help improve overall well-being and help you stay on track long-term. 
• Not feeling a strong connection with your therapist–A therapeutic relationship should feel safe, respectful, and productive. If you are feeling disconnected or like you are losing progress, it might be time for a break or to change therapists.  

How to pause without losing progress

One major concern that a person may have when pausing therapy is losing progress or experiencing negative impacts on their mental health. Most therapists understand that, at some point, their client may need to take a break from therapy. Often, a therapist can provide you with other support options to maintain or improve overall well-being and mental health during a break. 

When taking a break from therapy, there are some things that you can do to maintain mental health. One way to maintain mental health during a break can be self-reflection. A break is a good time to reflect on your progress and gain perspective or new insights on your personal growth. This can also be a good time practice skills that you have learned in therapy independently.  

Maintaining mental health during a break

Maintaining mental health during a break from therapy does not have to be complicated. Outside of therapy, there are other support options that you can implement in everyday life to improve overall well-being. These can include connecting with close friends and family members who can support you during challenging real-life situations. 

Additionally, practicing techniques like mindfulness or journaling can help improve mental health during a break. Journaling can help you gain perspective and may provide new insights or ways of looking at the world. Mindfulness practices, like deep breathing, can help you stay calm during times of added stress. 

Are there risks to your mental health when pausing therapy?

The situations discussed above can all be valid reasons for putting therapy on hold temporarily, but what are the possible downsides? 

Interruptions in treatment may sometimes cause clients to lose ground, perhaps because the emotional coping skills they were learning are no longer being reinforced with regular sessions. 

There’s also a chance that what you intend as a short break from therapy might turn into a permanent break, which could have negative effects if this happens before an individual has achieved adequate improvement or symptom relief and developed new thought patterns. Research has found that ending treatment prematurely “hinders the effective delivery of mental health services across various settings, consumer populations, and treatment modalities.”.

However, a 2017 study examined the effects of missing therapy sessions and concluded that it was unplanned no-shows, not cancellations, that had a negative effect on symptom change. Only unplanned no-shows led to worsening symptoms of mental illness. Planned absences didn’t seem to have this effect. This may suggest that if you know in advance that you’re going to need to pause therapy, you may be able to plan ahead and mitigate any possible negative effects.

Planning for a pause from therapy

Below are a few ways you may be able to reduce or avoid negative impacts on your mental health when pausing therapy:

1. Notify your therapist as far in advance as possible

The more notice you give before putting therapy on hold, the more time you and your therapist will have to get ready for the change. If possible, it may be helpful to attend at least one more session before your break begins. This may help the transition feel less abrupt and help you mentally prepare. Most therapists understand that patients will need to take a break from time to time. Open communication can help smooth the transition and allow your therapist to provide you with support. 

Also, if you take medication prescribed by a doctor for a mental health condition, it may be helpful to discuss your plan to pause therapy with your doctor, who may want to see you after a certain time away from therapy to assess your overall well being how you’re doing. 

2. Look for alternate resources for therapy

Even if you won’t be able to work with your current therapist during your time away, there may be other sources of help available. When pausing therapy due to financial reasons, for example, you might want to see if you can find free support groups or low-cost counseling through organizations you trust. You might also want to ask your therapist to recommend resources like self-help books for personal growth, online wellness advice, and other tools you can use while you’re not in treatment. 

3. Practice while you pause

Many kinds of therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT),  involve “homework” that your counselor asks you to do between sessions. This kind of regular practice may be even more important when you’re not receiving regular counseling.  It can also help you to gain perspective on your mental health while on a break. 

Possible exercises might include:

• Journaling about your experiences, thoughts, and feelings
• Practicing meditation  or other aspects of mindfulness
• Scheduling brief moments throughout the day to reflect on your mood and behavior
• Getting physical exercise
• Practicing gratitude

4. Set a return date

Setting a fixed date at which you plan to resume therapy might help you avoid simply drifting away from it permanently. If the point of your time off is to consider whether your therapy is complete, you might resolve to make up your mind within a specific time frame. Or, if you’re not sure you’ll have the time or money for therapy, you can at least decide to take another look at your schedule and your finances in a few weeks or months.

5. Plan for the hard times

Some days without therapy will likely be more difficult than others. If you’ve been receiving treatment for substance use, for example, there might be times when you’re strongly tempted to relapse. You will probably want to talk in advance with your therapist about how to handle these difficulties, and what to do if you feel in urgent need of help. They may be able to give you options to get in touch with them, or at least point you toward some crisis resources.

Exploring other support options

When taking a break from therapy you may focus on other support options to improve your mental health and overall well-being. Community resources such as hotlines or support counselors can help people manage real-life situations that may be challenging. While you may not meet with a licensed therapist, you can still connect with a profession who can help you gain perspective and may offer new insights. 

Group support may also be a viable option while on a break. Meeting with a group of people who are experiencing similar mental health challenges can be a way to learn new strategies and techniques. A support group may also help you connect with others who have first hand experience and can offer a different perspective. 

Online therapy may help you avoid a pause

In some cases, taking a break from therapy can make sense and can offer new insights, but in other cases, you may want to continue therapy but feel like you have to pause because of certain obstacles, —such as frequent travel, financial difficulty, new childcare needs, or scheduling difficulties. In these situations, online therapy can be a useful option to consider that can allow you to continue therapy until you overcome them and improve overall well-being.

With online therapy, you can meet with a therapist from home or anywhere you have an internet connection, which may make it easier to schedule and continue therapy, even if you are traveling often or have a new baby at home. By fitting into your everyday life, online therapy can provide additional personal growth opportunities, even while on a break from in-person therapy. Also, online therapy tends to be more affordable than in-office counseling without insurance.

Research has also demonstrated the effectiveness of online therapy for a of mental health concerns. For instance, one such study conducted a comprehensive review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of internet-based psychotherapeutic interventions, and it found that face-to-face and online treatment were equally effective. A study published in 2017 found that online therapy was effective for generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and substance use disorder, among other conditions.  Working with a therapist online could be an effective excellent way to avoid a gap in treatment and avoid losing progress while helping you to gain perspective.