Hello.

Is there any place I can look that describes how a psychotherapeutic relationship should end, from an ethical and legal persepective?

Or is there a concise description of how psychotherapy should end?

And this includes:
1. when the psychotherapy is ended because the psychotherapist's style and methods are not effective any more and the patient and psychotherapist is not seeing changes.

or

2. when psychotherapy is ended because the goals have been met.

More emphasis is given on number 1.

The therapy was going on for 3 years and we have had a great relationship for pretty much all of it, until recently, and now the therapist has ended the relationship through a "form letter" without any face-to-face discussion of why -- only a terse phone call made with the tag: I'm only making this call because I said I would be available for 30 days for emergencies. The abrupt and confusing way the relationship ended has cause some grave issues, such as requiring a hospitalization for my own protection, and even after knowing this, the therapist still only gave that terse phone call. My desire is to have a more gentle end to the relationship. I can understand the relationship is no longer working and it should be ended. But my desire is to have a face-to-face closure, something that shows the 3 years of consistent tender care was not a "sham".

I tell you true, the relationship was wonderful even just a couple weeks ago. So this abrupt change in her approach is very baffling and it has hurt me deeply.

I'm not asking for specific advice on how to achieve anything for my specific issue. I'm just wondering if there are rules on how to end a therapeutic relationship.

(As an aside, she did give me some referrals and I have an appointment to see a one of those referrals in just a couple days.)