Hanna Yavorska TSTA-P
Field of audience: C,E,P

Language: Ukrainian (translated to English)
Level of audience: All

Authentic feelings play a crucial role in the formation of personal identity, especially during early stages of development, such as ages 3 to 6. According to P. Levin’s theory on the “Identity and Power” stage, children learn to recognize and express themselves in various social roles, feeling empowered in doing so. However, when adults or circumstances do not allow a child to freely explore their roles in society (e.g., the roles of a girl, student, friend, daughter, sister, granddaughter, etc.), they may lack the opportunity to authentically express their feelings in response to these restrictions. As a result, authentic feelings are replaced by script (racket) feelings, which can have long-term consequences. In adulthood, this may limit the individual’s ability to perform a variety of social roles, focusing only on a few instead of being open to diverse roles.

In adulthood, such an individual may continue to suppress their anger or other authentic feelings in situations where they need to embody new roles (e.g., as a divorced person or company leader), replacing them with other script feelings. Restoring a client’s contact with their authentic feelings through psychotherapy allows them to make decisions about developing and expressing new or suppressed social roles and various aspects of their identity.

I will present my methodology for diagnosing a client’s authentic feelings and their manifestations in the context of identity development and the repertoire of social roles. Additionally, I will provide participants with recommendations on effective psychotherapeutic strategies in this area.