Patients often come to psychoanalysis with the expectation that they only have to supply associations, while the task of interpretation and cure will be taken over by the therapist. It is the task of the psychoanalyst to introduce the patients to a cooperative effort with the analyst, to avoid indoctrination, and to further self-analysis. The treatment should make it possible for the patient to continue to analyse himself. An important criterion for the increasing ability of the patient for self-analysis is his attitude towards interruptions of the analysis (i.e. weekends and vacations). In the termination phase of the analysis the patient's newly achieved autonomy will again be severely tested.