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Abstract
The process of ending an infant observation is discussed. Reflections are made on the role of infant, parent and observer factors on the process of ending. Many powerful feelings were evoked during this final but important phase of the infant observation. Individual, relational and systemic processes contributed to both the avoidance of and the working through of the feelings about the ending. Central to the process seemed to be the negotiation of the balance between holding on and letting go for the family and the observer. It is suggested that close attention to the ending of an infant observation is as important as other endings, in psychotherapy and in life, despite our efforts to observe rather than participate.