Extra-Analytic Contacts Between the Psychoanalyst and the Patient

Observations of extra-analytic contacts between analyst and patient suggest that for the patient, and not infrequently for the analyst, the reactions are symptomatic in nature. The meeting outside the analytic situation presents special difficulties for patient and analyst because the protective structure of the analytic situation is absent. It is impossible to deal analytically with the reactions at the time they occur. The psychology of the symptomatic acts is in the service of the patient's individual needs and is specific for the particular patient, often reflecting his transference relation to the analyst.

The psychoanalyst has good technical reasons for avoiding his patient outside of the hour. He does not want to burden his patient with impressions gained from reality contacts, thereby distorting or confusing transference reactions. The psychoanalyst may prefer to keep his professional duties separate from his social pleasures, and he may want to protect the patient from inappropriate behavior which might seriously interfere with the continuation of the analysis. These conscious reasons