The Evolved Self: Mapping an Understanding of the Self in Psychotherapy

This paper demonstrates how a self-referencing cognitive structure commonly called “the self” may be represented graphically. A psycho-historical account situates the self ontologically from the perspective of cultural evolution with the suggestion of inherent tension between individualist and collectivist impulses. It is argued that a capacity for objective observation and forward planning flows from the essential characteristics of this fully developed “modern” self. It is proposed that this method of self-mapping potentially benefits clients in planning and executing transformative change, and that the paradigm used is central to the practice of psychology. Keywords: The self, psychotherapy, collectivism, individualism, The Enlightenment