Posted by gardenergirl on February 7, 2005, at 10:18:08
In reply to Re: Mirrors » Susan47, posted by alexandra_k on February 6, 2005, at 23:57:03
I think of mirroring from Kohut, a self psychologist, in a similar way to Daisy's post. I would expand it a little, though to include mirroring of emotions.
For example, if a child feels happy about something, he/she may look at the parent to check their reaction. Mirroring would be when the parent shows happiness, too, assuming it's appropriate. It's like looking in the mirror to check your reflection and to see yourself. Kids need this to learn about their feelings and internal experiences, and also to feel secure and cohesive. Imagine if you never ever had a real mirror. How would you know what you looked like? Who you are to some extent. We look to others for a reflection of our selves, which serves to solidify our sense of self.
Hope this helps.
gg
poster:gardenergirl
thread:454057
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20050206/msgs/454272.html