In the life of a group practice, transitions are inevitable. Contractors come and go for many reasons: opening their own practice, moving to a different city, seeking new experiences, or simply making a business decision that aligns better with their personal goals. While the reasons may vary, one thing is certain: as a group practice owner, navigating a contractor's departure is both a logistical task and an emotional journey.

This blog offers both the practical and the emotional support you need when a contractor leaves your team, using key elements from the Group Practice Connection's offboarding process along with core leadership values like autonomy, trust, and integrity.

Start with Respect: The Client Belongs to the Client

It’s important to start with the foundational truth: the client belongs to the client.

In private practice, clients are not "owned" by the group or the individual therapist. They have the right to choose who they work with and where they receive care. When a contractor leaves, our role as leaders is to make sure clients feel informed, respected, and supported in making the best decision for their care moving forward.

This means offering:

The option to transfer to another therapist in the practice
A referral to someone outside the practice, if appropriate
The opportunity to continue with the departing contractor, including signing a Release of Information form to facilitate the smooth transfer of records

Honouring client autonomy not only protects the therapeutic relationship, it also reinforces your group’s commitment to ethical, client-centred care. Clients will remember how they were treated during this transition.

Your Contractor Is a Billboard for Your Practice

Whether they’re just starting, in the thick of their time with you, or preparing to leave, each contractor is a walking billboard for your practice.

People remember how they’re treated. And when someone leaves your team, it can either be a graceful exit that reinforces your leadership and values — or a messy, painful process that ripples through your team and your reputation.

Think about what you want your departing team members to say about your practice. About you. About how they felt leaving. Were they respected? Supported? Given space to wrap up with dignity?

Even if a departure is unexpected or hard, you can still lead well. You can still honour the work that’s been done, the clients who’ve been served, and the human being making a decision for their career. Practicing kindness and clarity during offboarding can turn a potentially awkward exit into a story of leadership and professionalism.

The Emotions Are Real (and You're Allowed to Have Them)

Let’s name something that isn’t often talked about: when a contractor leaves, it can really hurt.

Even when it’s amicable. Even when you “knew it was coming.” Even when you fully support their next step. There's often grief, sometimes rejection, and almost always a tangle of emotions that rise to the surface.

This is especially true when we’ve invested a lot in our people — mentorship, supervision, extra admin support, or simply the emotional energy of cheering them on. Their departure can feel like a personal loss, even though, at its core, it's a business decision.

Here’s your permission slip: you’re allowed to feel it.

Have people in your corner who get it — whether it’s a therapist, coach, or fellow practice owner. Don’t bottle it up. Process it. Let it move through you so you can come back to your role as a grounded leader.

This isn’t about being unprofessional. It’s about being human. And part of being a sustainable business owner is having support for the emotional weight of leadership.

Use Systems to Support the Process

Emotion aside, there’s a very real set of tasks that need to be handled when someone leaves. The more you can rely on systems, the less decision fatigue and chaos you’ll face in the moment.

The Group Practice Connection offers a robust offboarding process that includes:

A detailed timeline for announcements, access removal, and final paperwork
A step-by-step checklist for all administrative, clinical, and digital transitions
A client communication template that the departing therapist can personalize

A few essentials to consider in your process:

Client Notification: Draft emails to send current and past clients, offering options and honouring the therapeutic relationship.
Release of Information: Ensure ROIs are signed and stored properly before sharing records.
Platform Access: Revoke access to Jane or other EHRs on the contractor's final day.
Bio Removal: Update website, CRM, and marketing materials promptly.
Final Invoice & Key Return: Set expectations clearly in writing.

Consistency here is key. Your offboarding process should be the same for every contractor, regardless of how their exit feels personally. This ensures fairness and protects your integrity.

Transition Planning: Protecting the Client Experience

When handled poorly, a therapist's departure can feel abrupt and unsettling for clients. But when handled well, it can actually model healthy closure and reinforce the client’s trust in the process.

Make sure your systems centre the client:

Discuss options with each active client: stay within the practice, continue externally, or pause care.
If staying within the practice, offer a warm handover to a new therapist.
If following the departing therapist, facilitate the Release of Information.

Where possible, work collaboratively with the departing contractor to determine referral options and share responsibility for transition planning. You’re not just managing a staff exit — you’re stewarding client care.

Reflect, Learn, and Look Forward

Once the dust has settled, take time to reflect. What went well? What felt hard? What could be improved next time?

Ask yourself:

Were we prepared?
Were communications clear and timely?
How did our team respond?
How do I feel, now that it's done?

Use this as a leadership checkpoint — not a place for self-criticism, but for growth. Every exit teaches us something. Every departure is a mirror for our systems, our leadership, and our own emotional edges.

Departures Aren’t Failures — They’re Part of Growth

It’s tempting to take a contractor’s exit as a sign that something’s wrong. But often, it’s simply a sign that people grow. That your practice is a supportive place where people gain the confidence to take their next step.

That’s not failure. That’s impact.

The reality is, people will come and go. The beauty of group practice is that it’s a container for growth — and growth, by nature, includes change. Your job isn’t to stop people from leaving. Your job is to build a culture and a system where they can leave well.

So breathe. Feel your feelings. Lead with clarity. And trust that how you handle transitions says just as much about your practice as how you welcome people in.

Need a template or checklist? Members of the Group Practice Connection can access detailed offboarding guides and timelines in the resource library. You’re not alone in this — and you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

Because leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about having the support to navigate the questions well.

When a Contractor Leaves: How to Navigate Transitions with Grace and Clarity