Self Psychology

Heinz Kohut developed self-psychology theory at about the same time that Carl Rogers developed client-centered therapy - both were at the University of Chicago. At it's core, self psychology is psychoanalytic, but there are crucial differences in how the patient-therapist relationship is viewed. In psychoanalytic theory, the psychoanalyst keeps an emotional distance from the patient in order to objectively analyze the information received from the patient. In self psychology, the therapist uses empathy to gain the patient's trust. Once the patient trusts the therapist, he or she will talk more, thus enabling the therapist to gather more and better information and thus to make more accurate interpretations.

Self psychological theory proposes that healthy self-development proceeds from adequate responsiveness of caregivers to the child's vital emotional needs, including alterego needs, idealizing needs, and mirroring needs.

Alterego Needs: Children need to have involvement with other beings like themselves.

Idealizing Needs: Children need to feel attached to an emotionally stable caregiver who can soothe and calm them.

Mirroring Needs: Children need to feel understood and appreciated, that their feelings mean something.

If these needs are not met in childhood, and throughout the lifespan, problems will occur. Neglectful parenting - either physical or emotional neglect or worse - abuse - can result in derailments of self development and impair the individual's ability to form healthy relationships. Adequate parental responsiveness to the child's affect states (moods and feelings) is particularly vital if the child is to achieve affect differentiation (emotional health and stability) and tolerance.

Self psychology stresses that individuals need relationships throughout life (relationships that serve to evoke and maintain the integrity and cohesiveness of the self will always be required). Insufficient selfobject responsiveness may lead to fragmentation, a distressing affective (emotional) and cognitive (mental - thoughts) state indicating threatened self-cohesion. Fragmentation experiences may range from mild dysphoria (a general feeling of ill being, anxiety, discontent, and physical discomfort) to a panicked sense of impending annihilation or disintegration.