“It’s Just Not the Right Fit”: On Repetition, Misrecognition, and the Longing to Belong
“It just doesn’t feel like the right fit.” This phrase often emerges in the consulting room with a quiet sense of resignation. A patient sits...
“Saying Goodbye in Therapy: Why the Ending Matters”
If you’ve ever been in therapy, you’ll know that starting can be a big step. But what many people don’t expect is that ending therapy...
“On Endings: Why Goodbyes in Psychoanalysis Matter”
In the course of a psychoanalytic treatment, the ending is often among the most emotionally complex and clinically significant phases. It is a time of...
“Don’t Just Leave—Let It End”: Why Saying Goodbye in Therapy Matters
“It’s not just about leaving therapy. It’s about being able to say goodbye—to someone, to a version of yourself, and to a time that mattered.”...
“Don’t Just Leave—Let It End”: On the Transformative Power of Saying Goodbye in Therapy
“Endings are not just moments of departure, but moments of deep transformation—where the past, present, and future briefly touch.” — Unattributed clinical reflection In therapy,...
“When It Doesn’t Feel Like a Happy Ending: Ending Therapy in the Midst of Uncertainty”
We often imagine the end of therapy as a success story: clarity found, wounds healed, the patient walking confidently into a brighter future. But not...
The Art of Goodbye: Ending Therapy as a Psychological Rite of Passage
In a culture that often celebrates beginnings, endings are frequently avoided, rushed, or dismissed. But in psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy, how we end is as...
Turning a Blind Eye: Psychic Retreat and the Work of John Steiner
In the clinical landscape of contemporary psychoanalysis, few concepts have captured the intricacies of defensive mental functioning as acutely as John Steiner’s notion of “turning...
Love Yourself as a Person, Doubt Yourself as a Therapist: A Psychoanalytic Perspective
In the intricate world of therapy, the relationship between therapist and client is pivotal. The therapeutic process is not just about techniques, interventions, or well-crafted...
Splitting: A Psychoanalytic Exploration of Defense and the Fragmentation of the Self
Splitting is a defense mechanism that plays a significant role in the dynamics of the unconscious mind, particularly in cases of borderline states, narcissistic pathology,...