Termination initiated by the therapist: a countertransference storm

Termination of psychotherapy has been infrequently examined in the literature and often ignored by many training programs. Not only are criteria and techniques for termination not often discussed, but termination as a therapeutic opportunity has been neglected. The authors present two cases of psychotherapy termination initiated by the therapist and point out that countertransference phenomena, potentially destructive, are the major aspect separating psychotherapy termination by mutual agreement and termination initiated by the therapist. Careful, regular, and attentive supervision for therapists in training is essential to counterbalance the intensified countertransference reactions involved.