Paper Session C

5. Toward a More Optimal Selfobject Milieu:
Family Psychotherapy from the
Perspective of Self Psychology

Self Psychology Page | 23rd Conference Program

Overview

This paper applies the theory of self psychology to the understanding and treatment of families. The healthy family is viewed as a reliable source of selfobject experience for its members, while problems in or between family members are seen as due to a lack of adequate selfobject experience for one or more members. Causes of selfobject failures or misattunements in the family are examined, with an emphasis on the influence of previous relational experiences on current needs, capacities and experiences of others. A treatment approach designed to help family members become better able to provide empathically attuned responses for each other is outlined, with a case example used to illustrate key points. The question of whether "educating" or advice-giving interventions are useful in family work is examined, and guidelines are offered for deciding which family members should be treated and in which treatment modalities and by whom.

Self Psychology Page | 23rd Conference Program