Heniz Kohut's Theory Of Self-Psychology

Application of Self-Psychology Heniz Kohut developed the theory of Self-Psychology. He believed that the self exists from birth (Flanagan, 2011). Kohut believed that there are three developmental needs that are invested in three poles such as the need for mirroring/idealizing, the need to merge with competency, greatness, strength, and calmness, as well as the need to experience “self in others.” The goal of Self-Psychology is to develop a cohesive self. A common problem that is associated with a negative attachment in Self-Psychology is that a person who lacks stable care usually has difficulties identifying their own and others mental states. Much like in the Attachment Theory, when a person experiences trauma in their early attachments

The first one was the grandiose exhibitionistic pole, the second was the idealizing pole, and the third was the twinship pole. The grandiose exhibitionistic pole is the mirroring pole, where one needs people who will notice their unique talents, characteristics and capacities (Flanagan, 2011). In the idealizing pole the child needs someone that they can look up to and lean on and that they can merge with. Finally, in the twinship pole, one needs to feel like there are other people that they can relate to and are similar to (Flanagan, 2011). In my client’s case I do not believe that she met all of the poles based on information gathered through sessions with the client. Based on the trauma experienced in the client’s early life experiences I suspect that she did not meet the grandiose exhibitionistic pole. From what the client has said, she did not have supportive parents who noticed her talents and capacities. However, it is very possible that this pole was met when the client moved in with her grandparents. Based on the client’s stories and admiration of her grandparents, I suspect that the client was able to meet the idealizing pole. The client’s grandparents were people that the client knew she could rely and lean on. It is also very possible that the client met the twinship pole when she joined the Navy. The client has stated that she very much enjoyed being in the Navy and appreciated the comradery. This leads me

Kohut states that during infancy the child’s self is still very immature and that they rely on their caregivers as sources of self-cohesion (Banai, Mikulincer, & Shaver, 2005). In my client’s case, since she was unable to meet the grandiose exhibitionistic pole it is likely that she developed a disorder of the self. A disorder of the self results when the parents fail to provide empathy and when they fail to be available as objects (Perosa & Perosa,