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Article

Personal Identity and Moral Discourse in Psychotherapy

Pages 139-151
Published online: 15 Feb 2018
 
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This article proposes that personal identity is based on two fundamental dimensions that deserve special attention in psychotherapy: one that grounds personal identity in autobiography along with core needs, wishes, and intentions, and another that sees moral traits—one’s sense of interpersonal responsibility—as the most important part of personal identity as recognized by others. The author proposes that moral values are linked to overall development and introduces a new perspective on psychotherapeutic work, one that relates to both clients and professionals. The role of moral discourse in psychotherapy is highlighted as an important area of exploration, one that promotes personal growth, social responsibility, and awareness of the relational processes that have healing value for clients and communities.

Additional information

Author information

Maria Teresa Tosi

Maria Teresa Tosi is a psychologist, psychotherapist, and Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst (psychotherapy). She lives in Rome, where she works as a psychotherapist, supervisor, and trainer in private practice. She is also a trainer in the Salesian University’s Upper School for Specialization in Clinical Psychology and at the Institute of Training and Research for Educators and Psychotherapists (IFREP). Maria Teresa (Resi) has delivered training and psychotherapy workshops in several European countries. She is interested in the dialogue between psychotherapy practice and research and in the development of transactional analysis theory and practice rooted in contemporary scientific studies. She can be reached at Via Anapo 29, 00199 Rome, Italy; email: . This article is a modified and extended version of a workshop entitled “From Disorientation to Recognition: Migrant Selves” presented on 7 July 2016 at the European Association for Transactional Analysis Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on “Identity–Integration–Boundaries.”

Funding

The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
 

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