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Superego defense analysis in the termination phase

L N Levenson1

  • 1Yale School of Medicine, USA. Llev@msn.com

Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association
|October 31, 1998
PubMed
Summary

This study examines how analysts use authority instead of analyzing it during patient termination. It highlights how analyzing superego transferences, linked to aggression, can be resisted by analysts.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Psychoanalysis
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Recent efforts focus on analyzing analyst authority in therapy.
  • The termination phase can intensify superego transferences due to inherent aggression.
  • Existing literature may overemphasize internalizing mechanisms in termination.

Observation:

  • Analysts may resist analyzing superego transferences during termination.
  • This resistance stems from exposure to patient aggression.
  • Clinical vignettes illustrate these dynamics in the termination phase.

Findings:

  • Superego transferences intensify during termination, linked to aggression.
  • Analysts' counterresistances hinder the analysis of these transferences.
  • Gray's concept of the superego as defensive activity is applied.

Implications:

  • Revisiting termination literature is crucial for better analytic practice.
  • Analyzing superego defenses is key to addressing aggression in termination.
  • This approach offers a framework for understanding termination conflicts.

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