Psychoanalysis, "To Thine Own Self Be True"

Reviews the book, Advances in Self Psychology by Arnold Goldberg (1980). Kohutian self psychology is presently occupying the center of the psychoanalytic stage. This volume provides broad and deep coverage of the topic area. Although all contributions are sympathetic to the many tenets of Kohutian psychology, attitudes range from cautious partial endorsement without sacrificing classical psychoanalysis, to enthusiasm for jettisoning tradition and marching off to new conceptual territories, retaining whatever is valuable in earlier views as subordinate to Kohutian psychology. Central to the theory are the concepts of nuclear self and self-object. The evolution of these entities is powered by narcissism--an instinctual drive said to possess its own developmental line. The book as a whole suffers from insufficient clinical data to convincingly support the Kohutian theoretical assertions and claimed efficacious specificity and superiority of Kohutian psychoanalytic technique, as opposed to what is prevailing contemporary Freudian "common practice." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)