(1) Understand projective identity
Figuring out what projective identity is and who is projecting it? It is a prerequisite for dealing with projective identity. Psychological projection and identification is a psychological mechanism behind empathy, which occurs unconsciously.
The clinical application of projective identity is a psychoanalytically oriented object relation**. According to the theory of object relations, projective identity is a pattern of behavior that induces others to react in a certain limited way. It stems from a person's internal relational pattern, that is, the pattern of interaction between the person and the significant caregiver in his or her early life, which is internalized as part of the self and placed in the realm of real interpersonal relationships.
Therefore, it is the internal relationships of people that create a projective identity.
Projective identity, as a psychological mechanism, is mostly positive. Psycho** focuses on personality disorders, and projective identification with neurosis (this course focuses on neurosis).
The suffering of neurotic people is a conflict of desires, and the form of coping with pain is the repression of desires and conflicts, so repression is their main defense mechanism. Most of the concepts of repression (or latent repression) that we have learned refer to the neurotic form of repression. The neurotic form of repression is an ingredient of superego identity, which is precisely based on projected identity.
Therefore, it is the psychological conflict of human beings and the repression of conflict that are projective identity.
and (2) understand the process of projective identity
First, the individual places a part of himself (the bad or the ideal part) on another person in the form of a projection fantasy and tries to control that person from within.
The person then tries to get the recipient (the object of the projective fantasies) to behave in a way that is consistent with what he fantasizes.
Later, the receiver responds to the projector's "striving" inducement behavior, at which point the receiver either agrees with the person's fantasy behavior and falls into the trap of the subject; Either the recipient does not fall into the trap and ignores the behavior of the person concerned, and then the projection of identity fails.
Identify the main types of projective identity
There are many types of projected identity, such as dishes, and the following four types are exemplified:
Dependent projective identity. People who use this kind of projection usually have a request for help when making decisions or when they need to act independently. In fact, he is able to solve problems on his own.
Take, for example, the relationship between a 19-year-old girl and her aunt. The girl's parents divorced when she was a child and she followed her mother. But she had many opportunities to spend time with her aunt, who gave the girl a lot of care in life and emotionally. The girl went to university outside the province, but she still made decisions about big and small things, and her aunt was in charge, and she had to turn to her aunt for many things, such as every time school started and holidays, her aunt had to drive her to pick her up. After a long time, the aunt had an unbalanced complaint, "You are so old, why do you still rely on me, besides, you still have your own mother", and the aunt was finally able to refuse some of her niece's requests.
After the girl was rejected, there were a series of reactions, 1) aggrieved, crying and accusing her aunt: You have always been the best to me, why are you ruthless? 2) Anxiety and doubt: My aunt doesn't like me anymore, am I not good? 3) Frustration and helplessness: Although I have a mother, she is very incompetent and can't help me, my aunt is very capable and loves me, but it seems that she doesn't love me and doesn't help me anymore, I obviously feel that I am under the fence, poor and lonely. The girl also said: "Actually, it's not that I can't do those things, but I want to be with my aunt, but her attitude towards me now is clearly that she hates me and doesn't want to see me." So why should a girl rely on her aunt to do what she can? Why did her aunt's attitude hurt her?
It is not difficult to identify dependency projection identity, and all parties who express to you in various forms "If you don't help me, I will be cornered", "If you don't care about me, I won't be able to live", or even hysterical and suicidal threats, are all dependent projection identification, or adhesion complexes, to force others to care or help him. But often those "soft-hearted" recipients have to give in, and fall into the unconditional request and help of the parties, and become the objects of emotional control of the parties.
* The teacher feels a sense of pressure, control, and exploitation from the other person, and through these psychological feelings, it is also called countertransference, and can recognize that the other person is using a dependent projection identity.
Therefore, it is the adhesion complex of people that engages in projective identity.
Power-projected identity. People who use this kind of projection usually induce a sense of weakness and incompetence in others, so as to realize their own desire for control and power.
For example, some people in the workplace, everywhere behaves more important than anyone else, domineering, especially in the communication with leaders and colleagues, always show that he knows half of the sky and the underground omniscience, or in the consulting relationship, he will unconsciously show that he understands everything, and even speak a lot of advanced philosophies, or ask some tricky questions, or always deny your opinion......It makes you feel the helplessness and pressure of "his strength" and "you are not as good as him".
Therefore, it is people's inferiority and narcissism that like to project identity.
Pandering projective identity. People who use this projection usually try to induce guilt and gratitude in others in order to achieve their own fulfillment and desire to save.
For example, a woman said that she has always been thinking about others and giving for others in her life, but she has not been understood by others, and even cannot be helped by others at critical times. Although she is psychologically uncomfortable, she still loves to give and does not reject people.
During clinical consultations, some clients always appear humble and submissive, such as complimenting, voice, opinions, etc. These behaviors give you a sense of "this person is so nice" intimacy, and over time you will have an invisible feeling of pressure or weirdness.
Pandering, also known as the pleasing type, is identified because of the lack of self-identity and the desire for self-identity. But it can be achieved through a projective identity that "the meaning that you lack is only found in others".
In interpersonal relationships, neurotic people project their imaginary "ideal self" to others, and if others agree with the projected "ideal self", they will be complacent and even grateful. Going back to the roots, behind the pandering projection of identity is the fear of separation, or rather, the motivation to please is the desire for acceptance.
Therefore, it is people's separation anxiety and desire for acceptance that are engaged in projecting identity.
** type projection identity. People who use this projection, sex is the subject of life. The person concerned establishes the relationship through sexuality, and uses the relationship maintained by sex to induce the ** reaction of others, so as to satisfy sexual desire and control desire.
This projective identity pattern is relatively easy to identify. Most of them are the inner sexual hunger, sexual urges, and dependency complexes of the parties to create projected identification.
(4) How to deal with projective identity?
In the initial stage, the relationship is greater than the technology, and even the attitude of the master is technology. What kind of attitude? The basic requirement to do psychoanalysis: the attitude of the participating observer. It is to accept any experience, feeling, or idea without rejecting it, and to treat any experienced feeling equally, not to evaluate or judge, and to participate in the inclusive process of projecting identity.
This is to ask the ** master to act as a good container, allowing the acceptance of the other party's dependency projection. When the client does not understand the root cause of the difficulty, it is necessary to feel that someone sympathizes with their plight and that there is a supportive relationship that makes him feel safe.
In the analytical stage, psychoanalysis is mainly used, combined with existentialism**, or integrative psychology**. Analytical techniques for projective identity include: an explanation of the purpose of projective identity; the definition of anxiety about projected identity; Analysis of projective fantasies, analysis of cognitive patterns of **; analysis of identity; Analysis of conflict patterns. The process of each analysis is completed through three steps: clarification, cross-examination, and interpretation.
The above five aspects should be followed by the following principles: interpretation of "in the here and now scene", and then historical interpretation, that is, academic interpretation; Precise explanation, i.e. explanation for details.
Specific explanatory techniques include: silent countertransference interpretation, contradictory reality interpretation, here and now interpretation, self-revealing interpretation, alteration interpretation, exemplary interpretation, and retrospective interpretation.
From the perspective of operability, the processing of projective identity by cognitive ** is relatively stronger. According to Leahy's Cognitive Techniques: A Practitioner's Guide, there are three types of techniques that can be used to deal with projective identity:
The first category is clarifying the quality versus reality technique: distinguishing between ideas and facts, and assessing the probability of an event occurring.
The second category, primitive defense techniques such as dealing with **, projective identity, etc.: categorizing distorted thinking, self-fulfilling prophecies, denying problems, accepting, challenging false polarized thinking.
The third category is the technology of identifying and dealing with harsh superegos and enhancing ego functioningrole-play both sides of the idea; distinguish between behavior and people; Evaluate negative labels and look for changes; examine value systems; Enhance curiosity; Distinguish between progress and perfection.
Chapter 7 of the LEAHY Handbook, "Focused Schemas**", contains 9 techniques for fixing and correcting "bad self-object representations".
In addition, there are many techniques in reality**, communication analysis, sand table**, and performance art that can be used to deal with projected identity.
(5) Object Relations** Key Points of Projective Identity
The initial stage is still the empathetic engagement of "relationship over technology".
Task of the clarification phase: to clarify and reveal projective identity. Teachers need to transform the transmission of hidden information related to projective identity (i.e., non-verbal, latlic, implicit) into an open and explicit expression.
For example, in the projection identification of dependence, a certain girl repeatedly conveys to you that "you are the only person I can trust now" and "if I don't meet you, I don't know if I can survive", and after the consultation, she doesn't want to leave under various excuses, or wants to invite you to dinner, etc., **The teacher first accommodates the projected "object dependent object", and slowly feels the entanglement of being dependent (countertransference). At this time, the teacher needs to clearly tell the girl "I feel the pressure of being dependent on you", or "There have been people in your life who love you unconditionally, and I feel that you want to treat me as such a person" and so on. The end of this phase is marked by a sense of relief that the relationship has been clarified and that the client will have a sense of relief.
Analysis Phase: Qualitative Pairing and Interpretation. This stage is mainly completed: the analysis of projective fantasies and the analysis of the cognitive patterns of **; analysis of identity; Analysis of conflict patterns.
* The teacher needs to respond to the projected "pandering" or "sexual transference" in a rejection and make his position clear to the client. Note that what the ** teacher rejects is the relationship and not the person himself, clarifying the rejection of the matter. If the teacher uses the question, if it is at the level of language, it is best to ask open questions to explain the "conflict mode", if it is at the level of emotion, it is best to implicitly refuse to reveal the "projection fantasy", for example, when the other party transmits a "return" request, the teacher can use silence, or eyes, gestures, etc. to express disacceptance.
At this stage, there is a reincarnation of projective identity, that is, after clarifying and dealing with projective identity, a new type of projective identity appears, which makes the relationship regress to a new stage of projective identity, so it is necessary to reanalyze and explain projective identity. At this stage, the client begins to realize that the previous relationship with the ** teacher (projective or bad) no longer exists, and both parties feel relieved.
Integration phase. Strictly speaking, this stage overlaps with the tasks of the analysis stage, because the teacher will also give the client a lot of feedback, mainly his own feelings in the process of interacting with the other party (still countertransference), the purpose is to remind the client of how others feel about interacting with him and others in real life, so that the client can not only know himself, but also know people. In the same way, the teacher should explain the "cognitive model" and "false identity" in detail and precision, and the topics emphasized in the explanation are more related to the threat of abandonment and rejection, and the internalization of "good-bad".
All explanations should revolve around a realistic goal: the client should come out of the original projective pathological relationship, begin to understand that he does not have to rely on others at all, and can be loved and accepted, and realize that he does not have to meet the needs of others at all, and can be respected and recognized.
In the final analysis, it is the early experience of human beings—the self-trauma of being abandoned, denied, treated, and humiliated—that is constantly creating projective identity. So no matter what kind of theoretical background the projection identity **, the purpose is the same: to reverse the pathological identity and integrate the **self.