4. Shine, The Structures of Pathological Accommodation and Reverse Selfobject Experiences
Presenter: |
Ronald R. Lee, Ph.D. |
Chair: |
Gary Taerk, MD, FRCP(C) |
Self Psychology Page | 22nd Conference Program
Summary
(1) Incidents from the movie Shine are described to illustrate Brandchaft's concept of structures of pathological accommodation.
(2) Self-structuralizations that form during the absence of selfobject experiences are examined. Concepts such as self-sectors, and compensatory, peripheral and core self-structures, show Kohut understood that absent selfobject experiences did not lead to a complete lack of structure in a child, only lack of assertive structures. Brandchaft saw pathological accommodation as an experience in which the child feels responsible for the parent. The self-cohesiveness of this reverse selfobject function explains why those with accommodating patterns are reluctant to free themselves when given the chance.
(3) Treatment of those with patterns of pathological accommodation structured into the core self - differentiated from relatively adaptive accommodations of a peripheral self-sector - involves a re-enactment of a mutually cohesive maintenance relationship. Empathic failures occur when therapists, uncomfortable with maintenance goals, want "change," re-creating the patient's experience of meeting a parental agenda rather than being self-assertive. Accepting the patient's re-created cohesive-maintaining accommodating relationship first, then gradually explaining the transference and the patient's options, eventually leads to new experiences and therapeutic progress (179 words).