Understanding and Working with the Effects of Parental Pathological Projective Identification

ABSTRACT

The present paper outlines parental pathological projective identification as a form of childhood adversity that some patients attempt to address in psychotherapy. This phenomenon involves a parent’s unconscious relocation of an unbearable state of mind, combined with the interpersonal evocation of such in the child. A child’s effort to deal with this experience may involve the development of pathogenic beliefs about the self. These beliefs subsequently cause difficulties in living and considerable distress. Through understanding the dynamics of parental pathological projective identification, clinicians may help patients to develop insight into the origins of their pathogenic beliefs, along with appropriate corrective experiences. The integration of Control-Mastery Theory with the concept of parental pathological projective identification can facilitate such understanding. A clinical example is provided to illustrate these concepts and their relevance to psychotherapy with adult patients.

KEYWORDS:

• Projective identification
• psychotherapy process
• pathogenic beliefs
• case study
• Control-Mastery Theory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

¹ By “false” we do not mean artificial but rather a reflection of the child’s self fragmenting in order to meet the two contradicting needs of complying with the parent’s projections and protecting his or her true seat of subjectivity. Winnicott makes plain that the “false self is no doubt an aspect of the true self” (1956, p. 387).

² “Treatment by attitude” (Sampson, 2005) refers to the therapist’s genuine conveyance of attitudes that facilitate the patient’s efforts to disconfirm a pathogenic belief. To be effective the therapist needs to ascertain the kind of pathogenic belief the patient is seeking to disconfirm and align his or her attitude accordingly.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jay Reid

Jay Reid, M.S., LPCC is a licensed psychotherapist in San Francisco, CA specializing in the research and treatment of survivors of narcissistic abuse.

David Kealy

David Kealy, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Psychotherapy Program at the Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia. His teaching and research interests include identity- and personality-related difficulties, along with psychodynamic and integrative approaches to psychotherapy. He also maintains a private practice in Vancouver, Canada.