Abstract
Narcissism has always been a difficult problem for the psychotherapist and it remains so today. Freud’s pessimism regarding the resolution of narcissism in psychoanalysis is well known. In the development of psychoanalytical thought, a certain amount of optimism concerning this problem has been brought about by the findings of ego psychology, Melanie Klein’s theoretical concepts, and the appearnce of group psychotherapy. Psychoanalytical theory has illuminated and clarified certain problems of narcissism but has not yet produced adequate therapeutic solutions. Thus, for instance, Abse,1 quoting Kohut, notes the following: “The formulations of Heinz Kohut (1971) concerning the dynamics of narcissism shed considerable light on some aspects of the primal transference and related alterations of the ego. He points to the evolution of a “grandiose self” from feelings of incapacity, helplessness, and worthlessness experienced after early separation-individuation experiences (ego processes), and he describes also projective identification with idealised parents. Such concepts not only contribute to our understanding of the narcissistic resistance often encountered in individual analysis, but they sharpen our awareness of its existence.”
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Bibliography
Abse, W.D., Some Complementary Function of Group Analytic Psychotherapy and Individual Psycho-Analysis, Group Analysis 12, suppl. 2, 1979.
Freud, S., Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego, 1921, S.E. XVIII.
Anthony, E.J., The Generic Elements in Dyadic and in Group Psychotherapy, Int. J. Group Psychother. 17:53, 1967.
Pines, M., Group Analytic Psychotherapy of the Borderline Patient, Group Analysis, 11:115, 1978.
Foulkes, S.H., Therapeutic Group Analysis, Allen and Unwin, London, 1964.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1982 Plenum Press, New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Klain, E., Moro, L. (1982). What a Patient Can Learn about His Narcissism in an Analytical Group. In: Pines, M., Rafaelsen, L. (eds) The Individual and the Group. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-8154-9_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-8154-9_11
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-8156-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-8154-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive