Therapy is a wonderful tool for children who have suffered emotional or physical trauma, helping them to deal with issues from their past that they may have trouble understanding or coping with.  Yet, if a child decides that he or she is no longer in need of therapy, how does the parent know if the child is truly feeling better and has made progress, or if the child is simply trying to run from issues that he or she is still unwilling to face?

Talk to your child about why he or she wishes to stop therapy.   Does your child have good reasons for not wanting to go to therapy any longer?  How is the child behaving during the discussion?  If he or she is defensive, angry, or dismissive chances are that therapy is still needed, and the child is trying to escape facing deep wounds.

Talk to the therapist.  Give the therapist a call and discuss how he or she feels your child is doing in therapy.  The therapist may agree that your child has made great strides in his or her healing, and that therapy is no longer needed, or may only suggest a short break from therapy if there are still deep emotional wounds that the child has yet to work through, but still needs time before facing.