People often come to an analysis in despair because their sense of self, their self-image, no longer seems real, accurate or trustworthy. It is as if their ‘self-portraits’ no longer look like them. Analysis offers a mirror, a possibility to face oneself and see and be seen. The analytic process itself provides a model for the courage and willingness required to experience one’s Self anew, with the hope of true reflection both outwardly and inwardly.
Following the tradition of Self-portraiture in the West from the Renaissance to today, we will look at many self-portraits as works of art and also as icons of the profound experience of looking deeply at ones’ Self.
