Self-Psychology and Its Role in Treating Anxiety: Insights from Mexican American Adjudicated Youth

Self-psychology, pioneered by Heinz Kohut, offers a profound lens for understanding and treating anxiety by focusing on the self’s development, how individuals regulate their self-esteem, and how they maintain a coherent sense of self in the face of life’s stresses. Rooted in empathy, self-psychology delves deep into the emotional worlds of individuals, making it particularly effective for populations grappling with the destabilizing effects of trauma, neglect, and fractured identities. In recent years, self-psychology has become a valuable therapeutic approach for treating anxiety in both children and adults, helping individuals rebuild their sense of self and cope with the overwhelming emotional forces that drive their anxiety.

This framework is especially beneficial when applied to Mexican American adjudicated youth—a population often marginalized by systemic inequities, cultural dissonance, and the societal weight of criminalization. Integrating self-psychology into therapeutic practices for these youth, while drawing insights from Terrie Moffitt’s Theory of Dual Taxonomy of Delinquency, allows for a richer understanding of how trauma, disrupted self-esteem, and developmental processes intersect in delinquent behaviors and anxiety disorders.

Benefits of Self-Psychology for Anxiety and Delinquency

Rebuilding a Fractured Sense of Self

Self-psychology posits that individuals develop anxiety when their sense of self is unstable, often due to the lack of empathic caregivers who provide the necessary "selfobjects"—figures who affirm, mirror, and support the development of a cohesive self. For Mexican American adjudicated youth, many of whom experience fragmented family structures and systemic disenfranchisement, this lack of early emotional mirroring can lead to self-esteem dysregulation and subsequent anxiety.

By rebuilding this self-structure through empathetic therapeutic relationships, self-psychology helps youth regain a sense of self-cohesion, empowering them to face their anxieties with greater resilience. In treatment, the therapist acts as a reliable selfobject, mirroring the youth's experiences and providing a corrective emotional experience. This therapeutic relationship allows the adolescent to internalize a healthier self-concept, thus reducing the anxieties that stem from low self-worth and instability.

Moffitt’s Theory of Dual Taxonomy highlights two types of delinquent behavior: life-course persistent offenders, who show early signs of antisocial behavior, and adolescence-limited offenders, whose delinquent actions peak during adolescence and subside as they mature. For life-course persistent offenders, like many adjudicated youth, the developmental disruptions they experience in childhood—often due to trauma or environmental instability—contribute to a fractured sense of self. Self-psychology can address the anxieties linked to these early developmental challenges by fostering the self-cohesion these individuals need to move beyond their behavioral patterns.

Empathy as a Therapeutic Tool

Self-psychology emphasizes empathy as the cornerstone of effective therapy. By understanding the inner world of the client, therapists can help individuals explore the root causes of their anxiety, such as unmet needs, unacknowledged emotional pain, or internalized negative self-perceptions. For Mexican American adjudicated youth, who often feel misunderstood or judged by the broader society, a therapist's empathy can provide a powerful counterbalance to the societal narratives that label them as "delinquent" or "problematic."

Empathy not only reduces anxiety but also helps these youth feel seen and validated in a way they may never have experienced before. This is critical because many of these individuals have grown up in environments where they have been emotionally neglected or punished for expressing vulnerability. By offering a space where their emotions and struggles are understood, therapists using self-psychology help these youth develop a more grounded sense of self, which reduces the overall experience of anxiety.

Moffitt’s theory suggests that for adolescence-limited offenders, much of their delinquent behavior is a result of peer influence and the social pressures of adolescence. When these individuals are treated empathetically and their anxieties about fitting in or being accepted are addressed, they can more easily transition out of delinquent behaviors and into healthier developmental trajectories.

Addressing the Anxiety of Identity Confusion

Many Mexican American adjudicated youth face bicultural identity conflicts—feeling torn between their family’s traditional values and the demands of assimilating into a broader American culture that may not fully accept them. This dissonance can contribute to feelings of alienation, self-doubt, and anxiety. Self-psychology, with its emphasis on identity development and the centrality of the self, offers a framework for helping these youth reconcile the different aspects of their identities.

By providing a therapeutic space in which they can explore their cultural identity and feel affirmed in both their Mexican heritage and their place in American society, self-psychology can reduce the anxiety that comes from cultural disconnection. This is particularly important when considering Moffitt’s theory, which highlights how adolescence is a critical period for identity formation. Addressing the identity conflicts that these youth face can reduce the likelihood of ongoing delinquent behavior by fostering a more integrated and stable sense of self.

Limitations of Self-Psychology

While self-psychology offers valuable insights, it is not without its challenges, particularly when applied to populations facing acute environmental stressors or systemic barriers.

Time-Intensive Nature

Self-psychology is a long-term therapeutic approach that requires deep exploration of the self, often over extended periods. This may not be feasible for adjudicated youth who require more immediate behavioral interventions to reduce their delinquent behaviors. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), for instance, offers a more structured and time-limited approach to treating anxiety that might be more appropriate in certain situations.

Cultural Sensitivity

While self-psychology can help individuals explore their cultural identity, it is also rooted in a Western, individualistic framework. For Mexican American youth, who may come from more collectivist cultural backgrounds, the emphasis on the individual self may not align with their lived experiences, where family cohesion and community belonging play a larger role in shaping identity. Therapists must adapt self-psychology to include the broader cultural context in which these individuals live.

Not a One-Size-Fits-All

Self psychology may not address the immediate material needs or external pressures faced by adjudicated youth, such as systemic discrimination, poverty, or legal challenges. These factors contribute to anxiety but may not be fully addressed through a self-psychology lens. Integrating social support services or advocacy work into treatment is crucial for addressing these external stressors.

Conclusion: Integrating Self-Psychology and Moffitt’s Theory

Self-psychology offers a nuanced and empathetic approach to treating anxiety in both children and adults, particularly in vulnerable populations like Mexican American adjudicated youth. When integrated with Moffitt’s Theory of Dual Taxonomy, it becomes clear that addressing the developmental challenges and self-structure disruptions experienced by these youth is key to reducing both their anxiety and delinquent behaviors. By focusing on empathy, identity cohesion, and the regulation of self-esteem, self-psychology provides a path to healing that emphasizes emotional growth and resilience. However, its limitations must be acknowledged, and therapists should be prepared to adapt the approach to the cultural and practical realities of the populations they serve.