ABSTRACT
Egotism is the process by which the person steps outside himself and observes himself in relation rather than being in relation with the other. If a person self-chastises, self-criticises or self-congratulates there is an implicit split in that there is self that is ‘done to’ and critic/congratulator, the ‘doer’. Whereas with retroflection an impulse journeys from the contact boundary and is then turned back upon oneself, with self-monitoring the client’s internal dialogue is even more self-contained and likely to be less visible. Moments of self-monitoring will be marked by breaks in contact such as the client gazing out the window or holding a glazed look in their eyes. If the therapist works to heighten the client’s awareness of bodily sensations it is likely to disrupt a process of self-monitoring.
