This overview of self psychology will answer the titular questions, offering an introduction to the theory and clinical practice. We will begin with a brief synopsis of the historical origins of the theory, initially developed by Heinz Kohut at the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis (now known as the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute). The talk will then move to specify some of the distinctive features of the theory, especially the role of empathy, the self/selfobject concepts, the selfobject transferences, and the conceptualization of defenses and resistance. We will explore these ideas through a consideration of the therapeutic action of interpretation. Unpacking the self psychological account of interpretation will illuminate these central features of psychoanalytic practice and suggest how self psychological treatments operate.
