Which term describes a regression where earlier responses reemerge during termination?

Which term describes a regression where earlier responses reemerge during termination?

• A. Simple denial
• B. Clustering
• C. Regression
• D. Positive flight

Answer: (C)

During termination, a client may slip into regression, a defense pattern where earlier, familiar responses reappear in a stressful situation. As the therapy ends, anxiety about separation can trigger old coping styles or behaviors that weren’t as prominent during the active phase—like seeking extra reassurance, clinging, or reverting to more childlike or dependent ways of interacting. This reemergence of prior responses is what defines regression in this context. Denial involves refusing to accept reality rather than bringing back older patterns; clustering and positive flight aren’t standard terms for this phenomenon, so they don’t capture what’s happening as termination approaches.

During termination, a client may slip into regression, a defense pattern where earlier, familiar responses reappear in a stressful situation. As the therapy ends, anxiety about separation can trigger old coping styles or behaviors that weren’t as prominent during the active phase—like seeking extra reassurance, clinging, or reverting to more childlike or dependent ways of interacting. This reemergence of prior responses is what defines regression in this context. Denial involves refusing to accept reality rather than bringing back older patterns; clustering and positive flight aren’t standard terms for this phenomenon, so they don’t capture what’s happening as termination approaches.