Exploring Heinz Kohut’s Self Psychology: Understanding Awareness, Research, and Resources
“…man can no more survive psychologically in a psychological milieu that does not respond empathetically to him, than he can survive physically in an atmosphere that contains no oxygen.” — Heinz Kohut
Diving into the Realm of Heinz Kohut’s Self Psychology Research
Relevance of Heinz Kohut’s Self Psychology in Today’s Context
Understanding Heinz Kohut’s Self Psychology
“Heinz Kohut’s self psychology delves into a psychoanalytic realm that spotlights the nurturing and sustenance of the self. Distancing itself from conventional psychoanalytic theories, which underscore drives and subconscious processes, self psychology directs its gaze towards the self as the fulcrum of human development and psychopathology. Here are some fundamental principles and notions encompassed by Kohut’s self psychology:
- The Self: At the heart of Kohut’s framework lies the essence of the self, which he regards as the nucleus of an individual’s character. The self assumes responsibility for one’s sense of continuity, identity, and coherence.
- Selfobjects: Selfobjects encompass individuals, entities, or undertakings that buttress the self and aid in preserving its unity. These extend to parents, guides, and even cultural or societal standards. Selfobjects prove pivotal in the fostering of a robust self and persist in playing a role throughout one’s life span.
- Empathy: Kohut accentuated the significance of empathy within the therapeutic rapport. He posited that grasping the patient’s encounters from their vantage point is imperative for efficacious treatment.
- Mirroring, Idealizing, and Twinship Needs:
Mirroring: The desire for one’s skills and feats to be acknowledged by others.
- Idealizing: The aspiration to idolize and amalgamate with revered personas, typically parents or mentors.
- Twinship/Alter ego: The need to perceive a semblance or affinity with others.
- Narcissism: Kohut redefined narcissism, construing it not as an abnormal state but as a natural facet of human progress. He drew a line between wholesome narcissism, entailing a consolidated self, and pathological narcissism, stemming from selfobject shortcomings and culminating in a splintered self.
- Self Disorders: Self disorders materialize when substantial ruptures emerge in the relations with selfobjects, particularly during initial development stages. These ruptures can lead to predicaments such as a lack of self-cohesion, low self-regard, and intricacies in interpersonal bonds.
- Therapeutic Approach: Kohut’s therapeutic stratagem revolves around furnishing the patient with a corrective emotional encounter through empathic comprehension and the reestablishment of selfobject functions within the therapeutic alliance. This aids in rectifying and fortifying the self.
In essence, Heinz Kohut’s self psychology furnishes a scaffold for deciphering human progression and psychopathology centered on the self and its requisites. It underscores the significance of empathic affiliations and the function of selfobjects in sustaining a coherent and robust self.” (Source: ChatGPT 2024)
Real-World Application of Self Psychology in Counseling PDF Download A. Jordan Wright New York University Journal of Counselor Preparation and SupervisionAbout Self Psychology Self Psychology Psychoanalysis
Heinz Kohut: Unveiling the Genesis of a Psychoanalyst The American Journal of Psychiatry
Self Psychology and the Arts: Pondering on a Fresh Psychoanalytic Approach Semantic Scholar
