true self

in psychoanalytic theory, the total of an individual’s potentialities that could be developed under ideal social and cultural conditions. The term is used in the context of Erich Fromm’s approach to neurosis as a reaction to cultural pressures and repressed potentialities. It is also used in the client-centered therapy of Carl Rogers and in the object relations theory of British psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott (1896–1971). The realization of the true self is a major goal of therapy.

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Psychology term of the day

December 18th 2024

psyching up

undertaking a series of activities for the purpose of getting into an ideal performance state for an event, such as a competition or an examination.