ABSTRACT
Although the topic of termination has been largely neglected by its formal professional literature, behavior therapy seems ideally suited to deal with the various matters attendant upon drawing treatment to a close (Goldfried 2002; Nelson & Politano 1993). Typical defi nitions of the fi eld emphasize its specifi city, in that behavior therapists and their clients focus on demarcated and, often, narrowly delineated problems (Erwin 1978). Treatment tends to be highly structured, and is focused on producing tangible results and helping clients reach specifi ed goals. Empirically supported behavioral treatment regimens are usually time limited and can involve following detailed procedural manuals that have been tested experimentally. Examples of such applications include obsessive-compulsive disorder (Abramowitz 2006), attention-defi cit/hyperactivity disorder (Barkley 1990), and panic disorder (Barlow & Craske 2000; Hecker et al. 2004). Th e practice of behavior therapy is normally guided by a treatment contract in which the targets, methods, modalities, and duration of therapy are designated. Th ese characteristics of behavioral practice aid and facilitate termination because the processes and procedures of concluding the intervention are anticipated from the outset.
