Retirement of Therapists: Ethical, Legal, Clinical and Psychological Considerations

Fulfills Requirement: Professional Ethics for all professions. Check with your state board if you have questions.

Retirement does not free a therapist from several legal, ethical, and psychological obligations, even if the retirement is unplanned. Several years after their retirement, for example, therapists (or their estates) can find themselves still liable for damages that may have occurred to a former client. Retiring therapists are ethically and legally obligated to have a plan in place for notifying and transitioning clients, managing clients’ records, notifying colleagues and third-party payors with whom they’re contractually obligated, and helping clients process their feelings about losing their therapist. As if that isn’t enough, therapists have their own psychological issues to manage, even if the retirement is planned and eagerly anticipated. In the event of unplanned retirement, for example, a sudden debilitating illness or death, legal and ethical standard of care requirements still call for a therapist to have been prepared for this eventuality. Thus, the responsible therapist must have certain protocols and procedures firmly in place at all times.

This intermediate level course will give therapists the information they need to effectively prepare for and manage their retirement. It is made up of one audio with a text transcript and five articles and covers the relevant codes of ethics from professional mental health organizations, valuable information from leading psychotherapy malpractice insurers, sample forms, and first-person experiences of the personal issues psychodynamic therapists tried to manage, both with clients and intra-psychically. Additional resources and references are provided for further study, but they are not part of the course.