Psychoanalytic therapy has over the years tended to become shorter, and, among the modifications introduced when this therapy was included in the German system of public health care, its duration was limited. Ermann regards such limitations as reflecting the spirit of our times: we look for what is practicable, measurable, and controllable. Little attention is paid to the effect of limits on length of therapy. Ermann believes we need to consider this effect. He suggests two aspects to keep in mind: the effect of limitation of time as one, and its relation to transference as the other.