Expanding the concept of “self” in clinical psychology : ego and “self” into〈I〉

シンリ　リンショウ　ニ　オケル　ワタシ　ガイネン　ノ　カクダイ　ジガ　ト　ジコ　カラ　ワタシ　ヘ

ニノミヤ, コウダイ

Ninomiya, Koudai

オオサカ ダイガク ダイガクイン ニンゲン カガク ケンキュウカ キョウイクガクケイ

Department of Education, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University

関係

外なる他者

〈I〉

relation

outer others

In psychotherapy, how a therapist supports or treats clients essentially stems from the former’s understanding of “self”. This report, at first, defines the concept of “self” as that which includes the ego, the inner others and their relations; and the concept of〈I〉 as the consciousness or the field of experience that includes “self”, the outer others and their relations. Subsequently, by comparing the concept of 〈I〉 to previous researches on ego and “self”, the essences of 〈I〉 are proposed as follows. In the field of 〈I〉, a person experiences the objective and the subjective meanings simultaneously, similar to the phenomenon of “double orientation”. In addition, every time “Krise” – a critical turning point- comes to the relation that he/she and his/her inner or outer others live on, the〈 I〉 repeats its own deconstruction and reconstruction. Moreover, the〈I〉 is the field that enables the experience of the manifestation of the potential healing. Finally, the support or treatment of clients requests therapists to be open to the consciousness of〈I〉, create the field of 〈I〉 for clients, and witness clients’ 〈I〉. For clients, it is important to experience something greater than the ego, or experience the relation that he/she lives on.