Self Psychology

Catalog description

Self psychology, a form of psychoanalytic theory developed by Heinz Kohut, focuses on the vicissitudes and disturbances of self experience in therapy and in life. One of its major concepts is the self-object, a term referring to other people on whom the person's self experience depends. The following topics will be examined in the course: (1) How Kohut modified classical psychoanalytic theory to create self psychology. (2) How Kohut?s initial formulations were further developed by important contemporary theorists including; Stollorow, Atwood & Orange; Shane & Shane; and Lichtenberg. (3) Self psychological approaches to psychotherapy. (4)Criticisms of self psychology within contemporary psychoanalysis. (5) Application of self psychological concepts to areas such as addiction, trauma, and personality disorders. Students taking the course should have some acquaintance with psychoanalytic theory and some experience doing psychotherapy. Previously offered as PSC 6491 .