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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

The concept of resistance in self psychology.

Self psychology views resistances as protecting a vulnerable self. Resistances are seen as efforts to maintain levels of organization that patients have achieved within the context of their traumatic life situation. Patients feel able to move forward in the treatment when the importance of their need to maintain their developmental position is understood. This view is in contrast to the traditional view of resistances as treatment interferences that must be overcome as they defend against awareness of impulses and allow for unconscious instinctual gratification.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Empirical comparison of two psychological therapies. Self psychology and cognitive orientation in the treatment of anorexia and bulimia.

The authors investigated the applicability of self psychological treatment (SPT) and cognitive orientation treatment (COT) to the treatment of anorexia and bulimia. Thirty-three patients participated in this study. The bulimic patients (n = 25) were randomly assigned either to SPT, COT, or control/nutritional counseling only (C/NC). The anorexic patients (n = 8) were randomly assigned to either SPT or COT. Patients were administered a battery of outcome measures assessing eating disorders symptomatology, attitudes toward food, self structure, and general psychiatric symptoms. After SPT, significant improvement was observed. After COT, slight but nonsignificant improvement was observed. After C/NC, almost no changes could be detected.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

An appraisal of self psychology.

The strength of self psychology lies in its additions to psychoanalytic technique; its weakness in the reductionism of its theories. It offers a coherent clinical theory for treatment within the 'widening scope' consistent with the core technique of psychoanalysis. There are also significant applications to the treatment of neuroses. Self psychology is focused in technique on needs, met in accordance with Rapaport's concept of 'stimulus nutriment', which are, in their essence, outside the sphere of intrapsychic conflict. Archaic needs include processes related to psychotic phenomena and, I suggest, to deficits in the organization of fantasy. Such deficits lead to excessive dependence on the environment so that an interactional theory is required. Self psychology adds an interactional point of view through the concept selfobject. This point of view is focused on the subjective experience of the patient by the recommendation for 'prolonged empathic immersion'. Self psychology has an implicit concept of limited goals so that an analytic end result may mean a reorganization of the self without necessarily leading to object love. The reductionism in self psychology obscures its valid contributions to the role of aggression, conflicts and parental failures in empathy. Integration of self psychology with psychoanalysis requires clarification of the limits of 'prolonged empathic immersion' and the place for interpretation of resistance, defense and drive conflicts.

Aggression↗
PubMed1998

Conflict and aggression in group psychotherapy: a self psychological vantage point.

Self psychology's emphasis on listening and understanding from a patient's vantage point has led to a commonly held misconception that it ignores conflict and aggression; this is not the case. On the contrary, an understanding of rage is central to Kohut's views. Some basic self psychological concepts and their application to dealing with conflict and aggression in group psychotherapy are presented along with a clinical illustration. In the approach presented, it is not the rage and conflict itself that becomes the focus of the therapeutic endeavor. It is the underlying vulnerability that must be expressed, explored, and worked through in order to facilitate a curative process.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Psychoanalysis and self psychology: a metapsychological essay with a clinical illustration.

This paper is an attempt to evaluate critically some theoretical and clinical consequences of the psychoanalytic psychology of the self in its broad, supraordinate position. From this either-or position, advocated by Kohut and his followers, self psychology corrodes some of the most central explanatory concepts of psychoanalysis--conflict, transference, and resistance. In an extensive case illustration, I have tried to show the conceptual and technical impoverishment of the self-psychological views with respect to the concepts of organization in conflict, in defense, and in development, and with respect to the role of aggression and to the concepts of transference and resistance. These consequences of the supraordinate self-psychological viewpoint are related to its overt attack on metapsychology, which is linked to an epistemological fallacy as a consequence of the exclusive use of empathy and introspection with grave consequences for our explanatory power, i.e., a fundamental confusion between the realms of content and of function. This also implies an obstacle in the systematic study of self-deception and a threat to psychoanalysis defined as the study of human behavior considered from the viewpoint of conflict. Finally, an attempt is made to integrate the views of Kohut with those of Winnicott and of classical metapsychology.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

General principles of self psychology: a position statement.

In the more than twenty-five years since Kohut formulated a psychology of the self, the basic theory has undergone many revisions and additions. In the course of broadening from a focus on narcissism and empathy into a general theory of normal and pathological development, self psychology has taken so many different directions that the question can be asked, Does self psychology remain essentially a single theory with different descriptors--a theory of a self-selfobject matrix, a theory of intersubjectivity, a theory of motivational systems, and so on? A concise statement of general principles is intended to contribute to a dialogue between advocates of the views presented here and those who hold different views of theory and practice, within and withoutself psychology.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Self psychology interpretation of the Thematic Apperception Test.

Self psychology theory of personality has gained recognition as an important contribution to the psychoanalytic understanding of personality. The authors present guidelines for the interpretation of Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) material in accordance with self psychology, and provide as a case example a detailed interpretation of the TAT material of one patient. Material from the therapist's summary of the treatment is provided in support of the self psychology interpretation proposed. The authors encourage further efforts to expand the application of self psychology to the understanding of psychological testing material.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

The superordinate self in psychoanalytic theory and in the self psychologies.

The concept of the self has been used in several attempts to resolve the epistemological problems of what is subjective and what is objective, what is personal and what is organismic. In addition, it has been used to mediate between the hermeneutic and natural-science approaches to psychoanalytic explanation, between the motivational and causal dimensions of our theory and experience. In the case of Kohut, the self was initially invoked to deal with clinical difficulties associated with the analysis of patients with narcissistic personality disorders more recently, it has become the central article in a "self psychology" that addresses presumed deficiencies in the traditional psychoanalytic picture of psychopathology. But the concept of the self is not suited to be a panacea for resolving theoretical or clinical difficulties. The self as person refers to an entity that is both enduring and changing; it describes continuity in the face of change and change in the face of continuity. Abend (1974) comes closest to capturing this attribute of the self in his image of the tidal beach with a configuration that changes but an essence that remains the same. Eisnitz (1980) evokes something similar in his figure-ground conception of the self-representation. The crux of the matter is that the notion of self-experience includes a variety of phenomena that cannot be contained within a single self-construct--be it normal pathologic, grandiose, or otherwise. As a result of these considerations, I have argued against the use of the self as a superordinate concept in psychoanalytic theory and have focused on the shortcomings of three self psychologies that use the self in this way. I believe that Klein, Gedo, and Kohut all offer the self as a kind of conceptual tranquilizer for the philosophical, theoretical, and clinical dualities that are inherent in psychoanalytic work. Grossman addressed himself to these dualities as far back as 1967 and elaborated on the problems with Simon (1969) in a pathbreaking paper on anthropomorphism in psychoanalysis. Grossman and Simon contended that the controversy about anthropomorphism in psychoanalytic theory pertains to the basic confusion in psychology between meaning and causality. They submitted that until this confusion was dispelled and until some superordinate concept was found that could "encompass both kinds of discourse", attempts to transform psychoanalysis into a general psychology would result in failure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Drive↗
PubMed2000

Contributions of object relations theory and self psychology to relational psychology and group psychotherapy.

Object relations theory and self psychology are psychoanalytic perspectives that are especially concerned with interpersonal relations and their mental representations. Object relations theory began as an intrapsychic "singleton" psychology with the work of Freud and Melanie Klein. It subsequently evolved into a multi-person psychology with the work of Bion on groups, as well as the clinical and theoretical contributions of Winnicott and Fairbairn. Kohutian self psychology, which emerged later, has been interested in the relations between the self and significant others as mirroring and idealizing "self-objects." Stolorow's "inter-subjective perspective" emerged from self psychology as a full-fledged multi-person point of view. This article considers the significance of contemporary object relations theory and self psychology as relational, multi-person perspectives in terms of their application to group psychotherapy, focusing upon the group-as-a-whole, projective identification, transitional space and object, and self/self-object relations as particularly useful constructs. A clinical vignette is provided.

Humans↗
PubMed1995

The application of psychotherapeutic and self psychology principles to hostage negotiations.

Self psychology provides valuable insights into the dynamics that underlie hostage situations and negotiations. Recognition of the similarities between negotiations and psychotherapy further clarifies the complex interactions that occur. The importance of empathy and the development of selfobject relationships will have a significant impact on the resolution of the incident. Recognition of selfobject transferences and the indicators of self fragmentation will help to guide the negotiator and mental health consultants in their conduct of the negotiations. The complex relationships that develop between hostage-taker, hostages, and negotiators can all be understood within the framework of self psychology, leading to the more effective management of these situations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Self psychology since Kohut.

The changes in psychoanalytic self psychology since its origination by Heinz Kohut are described as differences in three branches: the traditional, the intersubjective, and the relational. Each claims both a distinctiveness and a major influence within self psychology. These are described and contrasted. It is suggested that an effort to integrate all three is premature, and that they will continue to grow separately.

History, 20th Century↗
PubMed1987

Rules of clinical understanding in classical psychoanalysis and in self psychology: a comparison.

This paper compares the rules that govern clinical understanding in classical psychoanalysis and in self psychology. The rules of understanding in the two systems are fundamentally different. Self psychology interprets causes and relies on interpretive rules similar to those used in allegory. Classical psychoanalysis investigates reasons and seeks to uncover the patient's own interpretive system. Self psychology refinds its own theory in the relation between elements disguised in the manifest content of patients' productions. Classical psychoanalysis seeks to open up manifest content. Where self psychology reiterates theory in its interpretations, classical interpretations move away from theoretical generalizations toward specific fantasy-memory constellations. Theory, in self psychology, organizes directly the content of interpretations; theory in classical psychoanalysis organizes a technique of exploration and furnishes general sequences according to which data can be understood. This paper also suggests that the differences in the rules of clinical understanding have potential consequences for psychoanalysis which manifest themselves in psychoanalytic training and in the capacity for self-analysis.

Dreams↗
PubMed2005

Case illustration of the self-psychological treatment of eating disorders.

The theoretical conceptualization of self-psychology and the implications for the therapist's stance open up new opportunities for the treatment of anorexia and bulimia. The major contributions of self-psychology to the treatment of anorexia and bulimia are centered upon the following principles: 1) the conceptualization of food, its consumption and avoidance as fulfilling selfobject needs, 2) the unique therapeutic stance of the therapist as selfobject who tries to empathize with the patient from an experience-near position, and 3) the respect that the theory attributes to the significance of the symptoms for the patient. This paper presents a case which can exemplify some of the principles which underlie the self-psychological understanding of eating disorders and their cure.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Conflict and aggression in couples therapy: a self psychological vantge point.

The intent of the present essay is to correct the misconception that self psychology fails to deal with conflict and aggression. Self psychology does, in fact, have a definite view of conflict and aggression that leads to clear implications for treatment. I will focus upon the applicability of these ideas to psychoanalytic work with couples. Clinical material will be presented in order to illustrate the application of these concepts. Conflict and aggression are not seen as an interference or resistance to be handled or removed. Instead, the occurrence of conflict and aggression may be viewed as an opportunity to address underlying issues. The aim of technique thus becomes the deepening of therapeutic process. The key issue is not the management of conflict and rage. It is the strengthening of functions of affect regulation, containment, and self-cohesion. The emphasis is on the underlying narcissistic vulnerability of both members of the couple, especially during times of conflict. The therapist's attunement to underlying vulnerability is an important aspect of a self psychological approach.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Observation and theory in psychoanalysis: the self psychology of Heinz Kohut.

The development of self psychology by Heinz Kohut illustrates the influence of observational method on theory formation in psychoanalysis. In 1959 Kohut began to emphasize empathy and introspection over the traditional combination of free association and evenly suspended attention. This became an important part of a process of revision in psychoanalytic theory which culminated in self psychology. This paper demonstrates how and why that particular change in observational method influenced that particular revision of theory.

Attention↗