Summary: This special presentation invites participants to reexamine the meaning of termination through a new modern analytic lens, stepping away from the myth that terminations represent failure on the part of the leader or the group members. Although endings evoke deep emotions in groups, they can bring opportunities for meaningful experiences that would not otherwise have occurred. Through clinical narratives and personal reflection, Dr. Jan Morris illustrates how leaning into the pain of separation can yield unexpected moments of repair, connection, and growth.
Learning Objectives. By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Identify modern analytic myths and implicit assumptions about termination that can evoke feelings of failure or inadequacy in group leaders..
Describe how group leaders’ personal experiences with loss and separation can inform their emotional presence and leadership stance during member terminations.
Analyze countertransference reactions and emotional challenges that arise for group leaders when members leave or threaten to leave.
Apply modern analytic concepts (e.g., progressive emotional communication, mattering, rupture and repair) to enhance the leader’s ability to facilitate endings as growth-promoting processes for both members and self.
Date: Sunday, February 8, 2026
Time: 2:30 — 4:30 pm ET
Presenter: Jan Morris
Moderator: Alice Brown
Discussants: Aaron Black, Ellen Wright
Location: Online via Zoom, link to be provided
Skill Level and Target Audience: All