The subject of termination as a process has not been addressed in a careful, methodical way until relatively recent times. "Unless the terminal phase has been passed through, it is very doubtful whether any case has been psychoanalyzed," Glover cautioned.1 And Harold Blum2 has pointed out that while the subject of termination was addressed by Freud (and also by Ferenczi), the process of a termination phase in analysis was not a focus for study during Freud's lifetime. Blum's thoughtful paper traces the evolution of our conceptual formulation of a termination phase.

Kupers contends that the process of termination, in both psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, must be considered from clinical and social perspectives. He is critical of the unequal distribution of mental health services. For example, in many clinics, patients are offered only brief therapy, although their clinical condition requires a more lengthy treatment. Kupers contends that "a patient's