ABSTRACT
Ending psychoanalytic work can be difficult, not only because all ending is seen as symbolic of death, but also because it indicates the ending of at least one stage of a process of development. The therapist may share with the patient the fear of the losses that an ending brings. Ending therapy is usually a transition and carries its own particular shades of doubt and uncertainty. An alternative view of ending which recognises the more violent, frightening aspects of endings comes, for example, in the poem by Robert Frost in which he describes the way world will end in fire or ice. The angry ending is known to most therapists and may be a defence against the experience of sadness. The therapist is known to be alive and well if the ending is allowed to take place with appropriate reflection, thought, and awareness. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
