E-ISSN : 2733-4538
Self psychology and Gestalt therapy are similar in that both theories stem from the common roots of psychoanalysis and have also a phenomenological background. A group of gestalt therapists have pleaded for the necessity of a dialogue with self psychology hoping to compensate the developmental theory of which the gestal therapy still much lack. This article surveyed the major issues of self psychology and intersubjective theory, which is a new stream of self psychology, and introduced such concepts as selfobject, selfobject need, selfobject transference and invariant organizing principles. After this the author discussed the necessity of a dialogue among these three theories together with the problems that arise in the reception of these theories into Gestalt therapy. Finally the differences between Gestalt therapy and the other two theories were pointed out and the uniqueness and identity of Gestalt therapy were described.