Group Discussions

BOTH IN THE INITIAL PLENARY session and at the outset of the group discussion Dr. Levenson took the position that termination does not constitute much of a problem for him either technically or personally. Toward the close of the group session, Dr. Lippmann noted that Dr. Levenson's position seemed to have the effect on the discussion group of polarizing discussion. Group members were in

the position, much of the time, of trying to prove that termination was indeed a problem both personal and technical for the analyst, and issues of mourning and loss were emphasized.

Dr. Feinberg contrasted Dr. Levenson's views with Dr. Donald Meltzer's comments when he was visiting the Institute in the fall. Dr. Meltzer had described a cataclysmic life-death struggle at termination. Dr. Frankiel commented that one factor is that Dr. Meltzer treats many borderline patients, who tend to the dramatic intensity he describes. Dr. Davidson stated that this was perhaps also related to the cultural differences, and the characteristics of English child rearing.

Several seminar members noted that the end phase of an analysis is often ushered in by the thought, "If I work this out, the analysis has to end." Dr Lippmann pointed out that termination begins at the beginning of the analysis with the hope for a positive outcome.

Dr. Leiter observed, that termination is easy where the patient's goals and the analyst's goals are congruent. Patients often come to second analysts angry with the first since they were as Dr. Davidson put it, "Sold short on growth, " because the first analyst did not see the patient's full potential.

Most everyone agreed that there are some patients who are "missed" after they leave analysis, who have been specially important or meaningful to us, or patients we feel have "changed" us. Dr. Levenson denied "missing" terminated patients but did note that he was very pleased to see and hear about patients but did note that he was very pleased to see and hear about pati