Self psychology and object relations

Both of these therapies are offshoots of Freudian psychoanalysis. The therapist uses empathy to understand the client’s unique perspective of life and create patterns of behavior that improve relationships.

What are they?

Both self psychology and object relations focus on experiences in a client’s early life as a way to understand and improve their adult relationships. The premise of self psychology is that children deprived of empathy and support in their early years cannot develop self-sufficiency and self-love as adults. The therapist fulfills the client’s urge to look to others to meet their needs, giving them the self-worth and self-awareness to carry into their own relationships. In object relations—the name for childhood relationships that the adult is repeating inappropriately—the aim is to use the empathy with the therapist as a platform for analyzing past interactions and emotions and applying new positive models of behavior.