Kohut's Vision and the Nuclear Program of the Self

Abstract

Although Kohut made clear that the resolution of the selfobject transferences was to “release” the nuclear program of the self, self psychology has tended to emphasize the mobilization and resolution of those transferences to the relative neglect of the nuclear program of the self. However, one cannot assume that once the selfobject transferences are loosened, the nuclear self evolves. This article proposes that Kohut's technical strategy of interpretation and internalization are not well-designed for the realization of the nuclear self; and, therefore, an additional technical strategy relying on potential space is required to facilitate the realization of the nuclear program of the self. The claim is made that this process, which requires a shift in analytic stance, fulfills Kohut's vision of psychoanalysis as a means for the creation of an authentic self.