Returning to a Selfobject Connection: of Parents and Their Adolescent Son

Abstract

This article presents a clinical vignette that focuses on the recovery of a familial connection between a young adolescent and his parents. The parents’ respective histories and their relationship with their child brought to the fore the parents’ lack of empathic idealizing selfobject experience. This resulted in their inability to create such an experience for their child. This article demonstrates the transformation that occurred in the first stages of therapy.

Keywords:

• adolescence
• crisis
• empathic stance
• idealization
• selfobject

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Taly Hochstadter

Taly Hochstadter, MA, is a clinical psychologist, a member of the Israeli Association of Self Psychology, supervises and teaches in Tel Aviv, Isreal.