SELF PSYCHOLOGY–INFORMED FAMILY THERAPY: INCREASING SELFOBJECT EXPERIENCE BETWEEN FAMILY MEMBERS—AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF PSYCHOANALYTIC TREATMENT OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Abstract

This paper applies basic tenets of contemporary self psychology to conjoint sessions with parents and children – a neglected topic in the psychoanalytic literature in general and the self psychology literature in particular. The author advocates for greater utilization of conjoint sessions in the psychoanalytic treatment of children and adolescents due to the modality’s unique contributions to promoting change. The concepts of selfobject experience and needs are applied to understanding what family members need and seek from each other and the various factors that can contribute to parent-child relationships going awry are highlighted. A treatment approach informed by self psychology is detailed, and the questions of when to do family sessions (or not) is discussed. A detailed transcript of a session with two adolescents and their parents, in which the teens and mother attempt to confront the father on his alcoholism, is presented and discussed to illustrate key points.