Representations of self in cognitive psychotherapies

Perhaps the single most important (re)discovery of 20th-century psychology has been that of the self. Conceptualizations of self are diverse, and the nature of its cognitive representation raises important issues about traditional concepts of memory. After discussing the relationship between identityconstructing processes and resistance to change, selected exercises in self-exploration are discussed and illustrated. It is concluded that the experiences of the “serving self” (i.e., the psychotherapist) are of fundamental significance for our understanding and refinement of professional services.