Object Relations Therapy
Object Relations is a theory of the human personality developed from the study of the therapist-patient relationship as it reflects the mother-infant dyad. The theory holds that the infant’s experience in relationship with the mother, or primary caregiver, is the primary determinant of personality formation and that the infant’s need for attachment is the motivating factor in the development of the infantile self. It is an amalgam of the work of British analysts Ronald Fairbairn, Donald Winnicott, and others of the British Independent group, augmented by that of Melanie Klein and the Kleinian group. Both the Independent and the Kleinian groups have developed theories of personality formation and psychic structure different from Freud’s, and different from each other. The Independent group, for example, disagreed with Freud’s views about the nature and power of the instincts, while the Kleinian group stayed true to Freud’s view of instincts but disagreed about the…
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Brings Lasting Benefits through Self-Knowledge
Patients Continue to Improve After Treatment Ends, New Study Finds Read the journal article The Efficacy of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (PDF, 200KB) WASHINGTON—Psychodynamic psychotherapy is effective for a wide range of mental health symptoms, including depression, anxiety, panic and stress-related physical ailments, and the benefits of the therapy grow after treatment has ended, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association. Psychodynamic therapy focuses on the psychological roots of emotional suffering. Its hallmarks are self-reflection and self-examination, and the use of the relationship between therapist and patient as a window into problematic relationship patterns in the patient’s life. Its goal is not only to alleviate the most obvious symptoms but to help people lead healthier lives. “The American public has been told that only newer, symptom-focused treatments like cognitive behavior therapy or medication have scientific support,” said study author Jonathan Shedler, PhD, of the University of Colorado Denver School of…