Object Relations

Object Relations is a field that focuses on how the personality is formed. It is a theory that provides structure to the treatment of Axis II (personality and character issues) and is useful when considering underlying issues when providing brief, solution-focused therapy. I came across Object Relations in my first career in information technology. You will see that it is a theory that helps bring an empirical (something that we can scientifically measure) base to the concepts of attachment and Piaget's developmental stages.

As a client, empirical measures may not be of importance. But as a psychotherapist, we must consider both the art and the science of psychological life. Please note that the information I provide below is mostly descriptive and less technical - so that you, as the client, are able to see that there are paths that lead in and out of emotional suffering. Having this knowledge often helps to counter any feelings that you are somehow defective if you have emotional struggles or feelings of inadequacy when life comes to an emotional breaking point. Be of courage ... Ps 31:24 And if the subject of Object Relations interests you further, I can not recommend a more graceful writer on the subject than Dr. Althea Horner.

Basic Ideas of Object Relations

Object Relations is complex, so I will start with an image ... it is a page I created in graduate school to help me explore the depths of psychological development. In the graphic, you will see a diagram of the first three years of life. You will also see the stages of healthy development and the critical points in development where development can go awry (i.e., failure to attach, failture to differentiate, failure to attach, failure to reconcile 'good' & 'bad', failure to integrate, and failure to internalize healthy schemas) and the results of those failures.

With this framework, therapists are able to help chart a course out of developmental failures. To help us begin, please complete the:

 

References

Fantz, R.L. (1966). Pattern discrimination and selective attention as determinants of perceptual development from birth. In Perceptual Development in Children, eds. A.J. Kidd and J.L. Rivoire. New York: International Universities Press.

Reference Pages:
  • The Nature of Therapy
  • What to Expect in the Initial Session
  • Your Biology
  • A Brief Personal Profile