Presenters:
Peter Buirski, PhD
Pamela E. Haglund, PsyDChair:
Peter Kaufmann, PhD
Discussant:
Gary M. Rodin, MD
Self Psychology Page | 20th Conference Program
Summary
Appreciation for the richness and depth of the self psychological approach to treatment has been hampered by the difficulty for self psychology of incorporating the role of interpretation and genetic reconstruction into the theory of selfobject functioning. The aim of this presentation is to locate interpretation and genetic reconstruction firmly within the theory of selfobject functioning. We further the discussion of the locus of therapeutic action in self psychology by integrating the three themes of the debate: enhanced cognitive understanding, the experience of feeling understood, and mobilized developmental processes. We suggest that any interpretation that conveys new cognitive understanding finds its therapeutic action in the selfobject functions provided. New cognitive understanding not only satisfies the longing to be understood, but the function of making sense of the totality of one's life experience itself promotes self-understanding, self-delineation, self-continuity and self-cohesion. New self-understanding contributes to the construction of new organization of experience.
We use clinical material from the initial two consultation sessions with a patient to illustrate how an analyst's verbal interpretations allowed that patient to make sense of her circumstances, a selfobject experience of improved self-understanding.