ABSTRACT
Classical psychoanalysis solves the problem by forbidding posttherapy contact, by defining it as antipsychoanalytic, just as friendly, open, or self-disclosing interactions during analysis are taboo. Classical psychoanalysis describes the ideal treatment as going through three phases: “initial,” “middle,” and “termination.” During the middle phase the deepest work is done, the patient “regresses” and gets in touch with unconscious material from the earliest years. The way contemporary analysis is practiced—with the emphasis on an open, friendly relationship—may be used as a rationale for keeping ex-patients in one’s life, even when it is not best for them. Maintaining a friendly or social relationship posttherapy does not preclude the patient’s independence, but one must always guard against using former patients for one’s own needs. As a therapist, MaryAnn is amazing, donating a large amount of her time to working with traumatized war veterans free of charge.
