Frontline—Another of the Interminable Revisitings of Freud's “Analysis Terminable and Interminable”

Freud's (1937) brilliant paper “Analysis Terminable and Interminable” was written when he was 81 years old. Jones (1957) called it “for the practicing psychoanalyst possibly the most valuable contribution Freud ever wrote” (p. 250). It is also probably his most pessimistic work as far as the hoped for therapeutic outcome from psychoanalysis is concerned. This pessimism seems based primarily on a view of the potential for alteration of the ego, a view somewhat different than that expressed in his other work. Possible ego alteration is viewed in this paper as not having a prophylactic power over the occurrence of both fresh and different neuroses, or even the power to prevent a return of the neuroses that already had been treated. And indeed we know that even in patients who have had a successful psychoanalysis, under stress or a catastrophic life situation, their neurotic symptoms may return. Freud views the ego here as being helped to cope with the conflict that brings the patient to treatment but the treatment does not assist the capacity of the ego to deal with another conflict that may arise later.

Freud also appears rather pessimistic about the personality of psychoanalysts who “have not invariably come up to the standard of psychical normality to which they wish to educate their patients” (p. 247). In elaborating on the importance to analytic cure of the analyst's individuality and ability to learn from his mistakes, he explains,

It is therefore reasonable to expect of an analyst, as part of his qualifications, a considerable degree of mental normality and correctness. In addition, he must possess some kind of superiority, so that in certain analytic situations he can act as a model for his patient and in others as a teacher. And finally, we must not forget that the analytic relationship is based on a love of truth—that is, on a recognition of reality—and that it precludes any kind of sham or deceit. (p. 248)