The Disowned Self

Synopsis

The Disowned Self explores, "...the problem of self-alienation - a condition in which the individual is out of contact with his own needs, feelings, emotions, frustrations and longings, so that he is largely oblivious to his actual self and his life is the reflection of an unreal self, of a role he has adopted. The problem of obliviousness to self, the causes and consequences of such obliviousness, and its treatment psychotherapeutically - is the theme of this book."

Branden describes the process whereby individuals become disconnected from their inner experience. The book reintroduces, in an abbreviated form, Branden's previously published theory of psychology and the central role played by self-esteem. It goes on to provide a philosophical foundation for the psychological theory of the disowned self. The book gives detailed descriptions of patients experiencing the problem, the history of their problems, and the treatments used by Branden. One method emphasized by Branden is the use of "sentence stems", a therapeutic technique he adopted years earlier.

In the Appendix of later editions, the book contains a reprint of an interview with Branden originally published in Reason magazine where he discusses his work and this book in particular. There is also a reprint of a chapter on emotions taken from The Psychology of Self-Esteem.