No matter the cause of a premature or unexpected termination, psychologists have some specific obligations to the client, experts said. Professional ethics dictate that once practitioners begin treating a patient, they cannot discontinue the treatment if harm could result.

The rise of managed care means more patients may find their coverage for psychotherapy abruptly cut off, said Richard Small, PhD, a Reading, Pa., clinical psychologist who writes and lectures on ethical issues in health-care delivery. Yet psychologists' duty to their patients outweighs their right to be paid for services, meaning they could be sued if they cease treating patients who run out of money or insurance coverage, Small said. Many psychologists negotiate reduced fees or payment plans to avoid abandoning a client.

Psychologists may feel confused about when a person actually becomes a patient, Small said. Clinicians sometimes think, erroneously, that they can avoid an obligation to a patient by referring to an initial session as an evaluation rather than a treatment session, he noted. An individual who simply calls for information, however, is usually not legally considered a patient, he added.

Liability risks remain even when the patient decides to stop treatment, said Ioma Hawkins, PhD, director of clinical training at Biola University's Rosemead School of Psychology.

'While the client has the right to terminate their own therapy at any time, it is the responsible duty of the therapist to inform the client of any ensuing risks that may occur when termination is premature,' Hawkins said.

A plaintiff must prove harm in order to bring a successful abandonment action against a therapist, experts said. That's difficult, partly because emotional damage is harder to assess than physical injury.

Psychologists versed in liability issues offer the following tips to avoid being sued for abandonment. Practitioners can: