Psychology-Object relations essays

Psychology-Object relations essays Object Relations theorists conceptualize therapeutic action differently then Freud, stressing the need for change in mental representations of the self, object and the affect connecting the two. They believe that such changes are brought about not only through analyst interpretation, but also through the therapeutic relationship. Generally, Object Relations theorists believe that the therapeutic relationship should provide a holding environment for the patient; an environment in which the patients self and object representations, along with their affective states, are held and then returned to the patient after they have been processed and modified by the therapist. To do this effectively, the analyst deals with a narrative rather than historical truth. That is the object, the mental representation of another person, can, and often is based on a distortion. It is this internalized object that the analyst must contend with. Object relations theory follows Erik Ericksons theory of development, which grew from and was consistent with Freuds theory. Erickson described eight stages of the life cycle. The stages are not fixed in time, but a person may have residual problems carried from one stage to the next causing stress or regression. He believed that the goal of therapy is to recognize how a person passed through the various life cycles and then work through unresolved conflicts by way of the therapeutic relationship. Object relations theories vary widely; some are consistent with Freudian theories, others are not. Melanie Klien postulated a theory of internal object relations that was closely linked to drives. She suggests that the infant ego undergoes a splitting process to deal with the terror of annihilation. She thought that Freuds concept of the death instinct was key to understanding aggression, hatred and badness. Klein espoused a persecutor...