SELFOBJECTS IN PSYCHOSIS - THE TWINSHIP COMPENSATION

Concepts from psychoanalytic self psychology may be valuable in explai ning confusing clinical experiences in psychotherapy with psychotic pa tients. In this article, we describe three clinical cases in which the ! patient believed that one of the therapist's body parts was actually the patient's. This body part ''mixing up'' has traditionally been un derstood in terms of part objects or transitional objects. We propose that the twinship selfobject experience provides a better understandin g and guide to clinical intervention in these circumstances.