Paper Session C

1. The Undifferentiated Selfobject Transference and its Contribution to Understanding Suicidal Pathology, Repetition Compulsion, and Fixations

Self Psychology Page | 21th Conference Program

Kohut (1984) acknowledged there are varieties of selfobject transferences yet to be discovered and, therefore, remain unanalyzed. This paper attempts to illustrate the uncovering of one of these unknown selfobject transferences which I have termed, the undifferentiated selfobject transference.

In this paper evidence of the undifferentiated selfobject transference is shown through the summaries of the treatment of severely traumatized patients who are commonly considered interminable with complications of compulsions, fixations, and suicidal ideation.

Further evidence is shown that this selfobject paradigm qualifies as a selfobject transference in that developmental aspects can be observed throughout life as an experience necessary to the development of the self.

Self Psychology Page | 21th Conference Program