Ideally, counseling is terminated when the problem that you pursued counseling for becomes more manageable or is resolved. The severity of the problem, the ability of the patient to make changes and the skill level of the therapist are all variables that must be taken into consideration. For that reason, it is difficult to predict the duration of treatment in many situations. Sometimes it is appropriate for a therapist to refer you to someone that they feel will be better suited to address your particular issues.