Postscripts: Reflections on the Post-Termination Phase

This paper delineates a deeper and more flexible approach to the termination of an analysis. When a patient returns following the ending of a treatment, the analyst has the opportunity to observe the effects of the termination on her former analysand. If the ending of an analytic treatment is not handled sensitively, much of what has been accomplished may be undone. Also, the quality of the post-termination contact itself may affect the long-term outcome of the analysis. The analyst's availability after termination is important if the termination has set off feelings of abandonment. Clinical vignettes are used to demonstrate how patients may need to touch base with the analyst or actually return for a period of continued treatment. The process of terminating is crucial in setting the stage for continued self-analysis or for the return to analytic treatment.