Advances in group psychotherapy and self psychology: An intersubjective approach
The theory of the "self" as applied to group psychotherapy has had particular meaning in this age and culture wherein people strive for independence, autonomy, and self-sufficiency, but all too often at the cost of alienation from others. The much-talked about phenomenon of the "me" culture can be viewed as a product of the times we live in, but a closer look also reveals it to be a common compensatory response to psychological factors going back to an early period of life when a child's developmental needs were misunderstood, ignored, mocked, overvalued, or overwhelmed by caretakers who could not relate to the child phase-appropriately. In such a case, a foundation for good-enough object relations never emerged. Children who experienced little or no enthusiastic responsiveness from such caretakers, except perhaps by taking on a submissive, compliant false self, can hardly be expected to relate spontaneously and with mature reciprocation. This paper discusses clinical issues in group psychotherapy with narcissistic and borderline patients; but first a brief review of the principal concepts of self psychology will be useful, especially more recent developments. For a deeper immersion into the earlier concepts, Kohut and Wolfs article (1978) and Kohuťs last two books (1977, 1984) are recommended.