16. Experiences of Transformation:
Change in Context
Presenters: |
R. William Barron, MD
|
Chair: |
Ruth Gruenthal, MSS |
Self Psychology Page | 21th Conference
Program
Summary
Transformation is an important part of clinical work, yet the nature of transformative experience is not fully understood. Using everyday experiences and clinical vignettes, and drawing heavily on the transformative love relationship depicted in the recent film Titanic, we will look more closely at experiences of transformation and explore an alternative way of conceptualizing transformation. In this paper we will focus on the idea that the sense we have of ourselves and the world is the context through which everything else has meaning. Experiences of transformation involve a change in this context, or a paradigm shift, which functions to reorganize and give new meaning to our experiences. Changes in psychotherapy involve a change in our way of making sense of ourselves and the world. In this way, psychotherapy both provides and becomes a new context for making sense of oneself and the world.