How do you end a toxic friendship with someone?

Ending any relationship is uncomfortable and sometimes necessary. Once a relationship has been identified as toxic, it is imperative to end it in order to protect oneself. I am generally not a fan of “cutting people out,” and, aside from any extreme circumstances, I usually encourage my clients to have a closure discussion with the toxic friend, or to express how they feel about the friendship before determining whether the relationship will end. I believe this reinforces healthy communication and could potentially minimize any residual animosities between both people.