Self psychology, developed by Heinz Kohut, believes mental illness is caused by stunted developmental needs, with narcissism being a driving factor. Kohut divided the self into four components and emphasized empathy as a root cause of mental illness. Selfobject, idealization, alter ego, and tripolar self are also key elements.
Self psychology was developed by Heinz Kohut (1913-1981) at the Chicago Institute of Psychoanalysis. It is a psychoanalytic school of thought that believes that mental illness is the result of stunted developmental needs. Narcissism, self-love, was the main driving factor in Kohut’s theories. Central to his belief in self psychology was the importance of the individual over analytic theories and structures. In 1971, Kohut published his seminal work, The Analysis of the Self, which challenged many prevailing theories of the time.
Self psychology recognizes both elements of the self and some parts of the psychodynamic theory introduced by Sigmund Freud. Psychodynamic theory outlines drives, conflicts and complexes. However, not all elements of this theory were included in Kohut’s framework.
Kohut divided the self into four key components: the cohesive, grandiose, nuclear, and virtual self. Each individual is born with a core self, while the virtual self is the image of the child in its parents’ minds. The combination of the nuclear and the virtual leads to the cohesive self. The grandiose self emerges from the child’s narrative point of view as the center of all experience.
The first element of self psychology is empathy. Kohut believed that the root cause of mental illness was parents’ inability to empathize with their children. Being attuned to the child’s needs means that parents can help the child transition from the grandiose self to the cohesive self. Kohut theorized that empathy can create a relationship between the patient and the analyst, leading to some reparation of the patient’s self.
Selfobject is the process by which individuals extend self-images onto objects and activities. These range from sports to jewelry. Individuals do not feel complete without their chosen activity or object. Self psychology projects the idea that a child’s selfobject habits continue to influence her choices in work, education, and life partners. When this item is not available, it creates what Kohut calls optimal frustration, which is a kind of trauma.
The first narcissistic tendencies are manifested through idealization. This element of self sees individuals trying to connect their selfobject with someone they idealize. By connecting with the idealized person, the individual taps into that person’s power, wisdom, and goodness.
A key element of the self, according to Kohut, is the alter ego. Where the ego is the internal development of the self, the alter ego is the desire to be like others. The alter ego in self psychology sees the individual adapting the image of himself to fit others. This also leads to twinning, where the pain or feelings of another are felt by the alter ego.
The final element of self psychology is the tripolar self. This is separate from bipolar disorder and revolves around three internal poles: grandiose and exhibitionistic needs, alter-ego needs, and the need for an omnipotent figure. These poles develop from an individual’s interactions with significant other people in their life.
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