Termination From a Psychoanalytic Perspective Rebecca Curtis Adelphi University The following principles of termination have been derived from the conflu- ence of psychoanalytic and other perspectives: (a) The timing of the termi- nation is determined by the patient; (b) the frequency of meetings should be reduced and a final appointment scheduled some time after the second-to- last meeting; (c) the patient’s stressors, previous dominant ways, and new ways of responding should be reviewed; (d) what the patient believes was accomplished should be discussed; (e) the therapist should inquire what was helpful and hurtful; (f) the therapist should inquire, if appropriate, whether there is something negative about the therapy leading the patient to terminate; (g) the therapist should equalize the relationship; and (h) the patient should be invited to correspond in the future. Termination, I believe, is more complicated from a psychoanalytic perspective than it is from other theoretical orientations. Obviously, some patients may come to therapy seeking symptomatic relief and leave therapy when their symptoms are diminished or when they feel better able to cope with them. Symptom relief, however, has never been the only goal in psychoanalysis. Let me briefly review some of the criteria for termination mentioned by psychoanalytic writers, although these criteria are not nec- essarily my own. With patients who have come for psychoanalysis, Ferenc- zi’s (1927/1955) criterion for termination is the one I might apply: “The proper ending of an analysis is when neither the physician nor the patient puts an end to it but when it dies from exhaustion” (p. 85). This might well come when the costs in time and money exceed the benefits. Practically speaking, however, this is somewhat unusual in my practice because so Rebecca Curtis, Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Adelphi University. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Rebecca Curtis, 411 West End Avenue, 11-D, New York, New York 10024. E-mail: BIGMAC757@aol.com 350 Journal of Psychotherapy Integration Copyright 2002 by the Educational Publishing Foundation 2002, Vol. 12, No. 3, 350–357 1053-0479/02/$5.00 DOI: 10.1037//1053-0479.12.3.350 This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers. This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.