Narcissism and the readiness for psychotherapy termination.

The readiness for termination of psychotherapy is considered from the perspective of the importance of the narcissistic features. After a guiding theoretical orientation, several case vignettes are presented that illustrate outstanding changes in the patient's self seen during the terminal phase of psychotherapy. These include the re-experiencing of narcissistic injury, a differert response to interpretation, and a substantial alteration in the reaction to disappointment.