Ego-state Therapy

Ego-states therapy is based on the idea that a person's psyche is the fusion of several different people or egos, such as the wounded child or the controlling personality. It was developed from psychodynamic psychotherapy and uses techniques similar to those used in family and group settings. Ego states therapy was originally developed by John G. Watkins and Helen Watkins, psychotherapists who specialize in hypnosis, dissociation, and multiple personalities.

Therapists often refer to ego states as a “family of selves.” They do not literally mean that a person has multiple personalities. Instead, each of us must navigate several discrete identities and roles. For example, a woman may adopt the role of protector of her children but feel like a fearful or neglectful child with her mother. Ego state therapy aims to identify these different roles and then integrate them into a coherent self.

Ego states are an adaptation to various life circumstances, rather than innate states of being. Sometimes a person gets stuck in an ego state or discovers that an ego state is no longer beneficial. A victim of child abuse, for example, might get stuck in the role of a scared child. This could lead to anxiety, unhealthy relationships, and other behavioral patterns based on an ego state that is no longer functional.

Ego state therapists identify four distinct ego states:

An unresolved ego state is a Self that has experienced a traumatic event that it has not yet processed. Unresolved ego states cause emotional reactivity and require resolution of the trauma.

Conflicting ego states are those that are in conflict with each other. They lead to a sense of internal conflict and ego states therapy aims to resolve the conflict.

Retro states are ego states that once worked but are no longer harmful. Ego state therapy strives to help these states learn to come out only when they are useful.

Normal ego states are openly recognized healthy states that are neither conflicting nor maladaptive. The goal of ego states therapy is to achieve normal ego states.

Ego states therapy is typically a brief approach to therapy rather than a long, drawn-out process that requires several years of work. Ego state therapists may practice other forms of therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, in an attempt to work with each ego state. Some therapists also use hypnosis, and ego states therapy remains a popular option among therapists who rely on hypnosis. Although ego state therapy has only been around for about 25 years, several studies have shown that it can be effective in treating a variety of conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder.