The Thrill is Gone: An Analysand’s View of Termination and Connection

Reflecting from her patient perspective on 2 gratifying post-termination friendships with former analysts, Peters explores whether, in some circumstances, such friendships might not be more appropriate than the severing prescribed by the profession’s ideal termination protocol. She argues that mourning the analysis doesn’t necessarily mean mourning the person who had been her analyst. It is even possible, she suggests, that a relationship with that now post-transferential ordinary person might even encourage a more complete termination experience than severance does.