ABSTRACT
This case study begins in 1976 when a thirty-five-year-old psychologist first encountered the concept of cutoff.* At the time he was living in the Los Angeles area of California, his marriage of more than six years was ending, his three children were very young, and his wife was planning to leave California for her family home in Mississippi. His father was dying of cancer and he had been out of contact with any relative for over three years. He was plagued with a fear of abandonment despite the fact that he was involved with another woman. Prior experience with therapy had indicated that his father was at fault and that he should move on and put this behind him. This was not a satisfying solution.
