This article on psychoanalytic self psychology attempts to show how it incorporates the depth, complexity, thoroughness, and broad applicability of psychoanalysis with the philosophical and scientific postulates of existential-humanistic psychology. Such major existential-humanistic ideas as holism, phenomenology, ontology, field theory, free will, and an emphasis on values and ideals are shown to be fundamental to self psychology. The author also demonstrates how the concepts of transference and countertransference are redefined in a way that makes these invaluable aids to therapeutic work compatible with existential-humanistic precepts. Some important recent developmental research is brought into the discussion and shown to be relevant to the work with adult therapeutic clients. Finally, the author articulates some important advantages of self psychology over existential-humanistic psychotherapies as well as ways in which self psychology theorists could profit from reading important existential-humanistic writers.
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