The Role of the Environment in Psychoanalytic Theory

摘要

This article, relying on postmodern theories from psychoanalysis and developmental psychology, proposes that human beings first construct a picture of the environment in which they live and only after having done this can they construct a sense of identity, of who they are within that environment. It is asserted that we all function in multiple environments, with that of the treatment being one of them. A case example is presented to help explain how this idea can be useful in understanding our clients' previous lives and the process of treatment.