Therapy Recovering The "True Self" According To Miller
Therapy helps recover the “true self” according to Alice Miller by fostering emotional awareness, validating childhood pain, and supporting the re-experience of authentic feelings that were suppressed for acceptance or approval.[1][2][3][4]
Miller’s Perspective on Therapy and the True Self
Emotional Awareness
· Miller asserts that children often suppress genuine emotions to adapt to parental expectations, losing contact with their “true self”.[3][1]
· Therapy creates a safe environment for individuals to rediscover and express these repressed thoughts and feelings, critical for authentic self-recovery.[1][3]
Validation and Processing Childhood Pain
· Therapists validate each person’s pain and history, giving permission to explore difficult childhood experiences without judgment or denial.[2][1]
· Miller stresses that acknowledging early suffering is essential for breaking unhealthy emotional patterns and regaining authenticity.[4][2]
Reconnection to Authentic Emotions
· Through empathetic listening and self-reflection, therapy helps clients differentiate their own needs and desires from imposed expectations, cultivating self-acceptance and genuine emotional expression.[4][1]
· Miller’s work shows that reclaiming repressed emotions can heal psychological wounds, restore vitality, and empower healthier adult relationships.[3][1][4]
In summary:
According to Miller, therapy recovers the “true self” by safely exploring and processing the pain of childhood adaptation, validating authentic emotions, and encouraging the rediscovery and acceptance of one’s genuine inner experience.[2][1][3][4]
1. https://www.whatyouwilllearn.com/book/the-drama-of-the-gifted-child-alice-miller/
2. https://headbutler.com/reviews/drama-gifted-child/
3. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/suffer-the-children/201206/the-drama-the-gifted-child
4. https://www.20minutebooks.com/the-drama-of-the-gifted-child