ABSTRACT
141 Ending an observation if not done sensitively is likely to cause distress. Dimitra Bekos interviewed three mothers in depth to explore their experience and reflections after the observation had ended as part of a research project for a Masters in Child Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. She traces in a fine-grained way many aspects of the relationships between mother, infant and observer. She found that the mothers felt that they had had a meaningful, positive relationship with the observer and did not understand why the observer took a strict line that the observation had to finish at a specific date. They felt that it was inexplicable to have no contact with the observer after the formal end of the observation, and felt hurt, confused, even angry and abandoned.
