“Unkind cutting back” is a “micro-traumatic” way of relating in which one person in a significant relationship withdraws—but only partially—from the other. The individual withdrawn from is made to feel insecure, deprived, and/or betrayed by the other's unilateral, unexpected retreat. The problem is compounded by there being a subtle proscription against naming and exploring the act's hurtful elements. A cutback's damage depends on the manner in which the attenuation occurs and the meaning assigned to it by each party. This article explores a variety of unkind cutbacks—whether psychological, concretely behavioral, or both—that may occur in everyday interactions and at various stages of life. It takes a close look at cutbacks in the frequency of sessions within the analytic relationship, a tricky move that is often instigated by one member and resisted by the other. The analytic challenge is to avoid being thrown off course by the narcissistic strains associated with the cutback bid, and to learn how to harness the ensuing exploration for maximal therapeutic advantage.