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Selfobjects in psychosis--the twinship compensation

D A Garfield¹, M Tolpin

¹Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Finch University/ Chicago Medical School, IL 60064, USA.

American Journal of Psychotherapy

|January 1, 1996

Summary

Patients may "borrow" therapist body parts as a coping mechanism in psychotherapy. This phenomenon, explained by self psychology, offers a path to more effective treatment for psychosis.

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Area of Science:

Psychoanalysis
Psychotherapy
Psychology

Background:

Psychoanalysts and psychotherapists encounter unique phenomena with psychotic patients.
Classical and object relations theories explain
body part borrowing
using part and transitional object concepts.

Observation:

Patients may refer to a therapist's body part as their own, termed
body part borrowing
or
merger
.

Findings:

Self psychology's twinship selfobject experience offers more effective interventions.
Delusional misperceptions can be seen as attempts to prevent empathic rupture.
"Body-part borrowing" acts as a twinship selfobject compensation, mitigating affects from empathic failure.

Implications:

Understanding
body-part borrowing
through a selfobject lens guides therapeutic interventions.
This framework aids in managing complex clinical situations in psychosis and neurosis.
Clinical vignettes illustrate these processes and interventions.

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