During the last three years, we have met once a month to discuss issues concerning couples therapy from a self psychological perspective. All the participants are trained psychotherapists in individual psychotherapy and couples therapy and have deep knowledge of self psychology and its concepts.
Our goal is to examine and develop the conceptualization of the Kohutian theory beyond individual therapy. To this end we read theoretical material and relate to clinical material from our ongoing work with couples.
We examine questions such as: is it possible to talk about a function of selfobject for a couple, or is it just possible to function as a selfobject for each of the individuals in the couple, and in this way to help to consolidate the couple and help them to be selfobjects for each other? We try to examine and work on countertransference issues, especially in cases when supporting one spouse can be experienced as an injury and rejection of the other spouse. We deal with questions such as: how to be empathic to a system, to a couple? what does the therapist need to develop in himself in order to be empathic to couple; to more than one person?
In addition we use the forum for peer supervision concerning our clinical work.
Amir Zohar