zelfpsychologie

Zelfpsychologie, also known as self psychology, is a psychoanalytic framework that centers on the development and regulation of the self—the sense of cohesion, continuity, and self-esteem that underpins mental life. It emphasizes how early interpersonal experiences shape self-processes and how disturbances in self-experience can contribute to psychological symptoms.

The approach originated with Heinz Kohut in the 1970s as part of ego psychology and object relations. It shifted attention from instinctual drives to how people regulate affect and maintain a stable sense of self through relationships that provide empathic attunement, mirroring, and idealization.

Core concepts include selfobjects (external figures or imagined others that support the self), mirroring and idealization needs, and twinship or shared experience with others. When these needs are unmet or inadequately met, individuals may develop narcissistic vulnerabilities, fragmented self-structures, or difficulties with self-regulation. Empathy from the therapist is central, functioning as a corrective selfobject experience that helps restore cohesion.

Therapeutic practice in zelfpsychologie prioritizes maintaining the patient’s sense of self and fostering self-cohesion. Therapists provide empathic listening and consistent responsiveness, often interpreting in a way that respects the patient’s self-experience. The approach has been applied to narcissistic personality disorders, some other personality disorders, and trauma-related presentations, though it remains subject to debate and is less empirically validated than some other psychodynamic approaches.

Relation to other theories: it shares roots with object relations and ego psychology but differs from drive-based theories by centering self-experience and affect regulation. It remains influential in psychodynamic therapy and training, with ongoing discussions about its scope and evidence base.