Theoretical Framework
How Can an Object Relations Approach Help Me?
Object Relations therapy helps individuals understand how early relational experiences shape their sense of self and patterns in relationships. It can assist clients in processing internalized losses and projections, while helping couples recognize and transform unconscious dynamics between them. My research focuses on Object Relations and grief, examining how internalized representations of lost or absent others influence the mourning process.
The History of Object Relations
Object Relations theory emerged from early psychoanalytic thought as a way to understand how internalized relationships with significant others shape personality and behavior. Melanie Klein was a central figure in this development, emphasizing the role of early infant–mother interactions, internalized objects, and the unconscious phantasy life in emotional development. My research builds on Klein’s work by exploring how these internalized object relations influence the experience of grief, highlighting the ways early relational patterns shape mourning and adaptation to loss.