In Integrative Strategic Psychotherapy, the self is understood as developmental, layered, and relationally formed. Rather than being a single, fixed entity, the self is seen as an organised system that evolves over time through bodily experience, emotional interactions, cognitive meaning-making, and relational history.
This model helps therapists understand not only what a person experiences, but where in the structure of the self those experiences are organised.
A Developmental Perspective
The self develops through interaction with the environment, especially early relational experiences. Patterns of regulation, attachment, emotion, belief, and identity gradually form a structured internal system.
Early experiences are not simply remembered — they are encoded in:
- bodily-affective states
- emotional expectations
- implicit relational knowing
- core beliefs about self and others
Later experiences build on this foundation, creating new layers without erasing earlier ones.
A Multi-Layered Structure of the Self
The model describes the self as composed of interconnected layers, each with its own function.
1. The Proto-Self
The earliest, non-verbal level of the self.
It contains:
- bodily sensations and regulation patterns
- proto-emotions
- basic needs and affective responses
This layer is pre-symbolic and forms through early interaction with caregivers and the environment. Many trauma-related patterns are organised here.
2. The Core Self
The emotional and meaning-making centre of the person.
It includes:
- core beliefs and emotional templates
- attachment patterns
- implicit relational expectations
- basic emotional responses
The core self organises how a person experiences relationships, safety, and self-worth.
3. The Plastic Self
This layer interprets ongoing experience. It acts as a filtering and adaptive system that connects internal patterns with the external world.
It supports:
- flexible adaptation
- interpretation of social situations
- learning and adjustment
The plastic self can either reinforce old patterns or allow new ones to form.
4. The External Self
The visible expression of the internal system.
It includes:
- behaviours
- roles and identity narratives
- conscious thoughts and automatic cognitions
- social functioning
While this level is most apparent, it is shaped by deeper layers.
Implicit, Emotional, Cognitive, and Relational Dimensions
Each layer of the self includes different dimensions:
- Implicit – non-verbal, procedural, relational knowing
- Emotional – affective templates and regulation patterns
- Cognitive – beliefs, interpretations, and narratives
- Relational – expectations formed through attachment and interaction
Therapy often involves working across these dimensions, not only at the level of conscious thought.
Why This Model Matters in Therapy
Understanding the structure of the self allows therapists to:
- identify where a difficulty is organised
- choose interventions that match the level of the problem
- support integration between layers
- recognise that change may occur gradually across different dimensions
Symptoms are seen not simply as malfunctions, but as expressions of how the self has adapted over time.
Integration as a Therapeutic Goal
Psychological well-being is associated with:
- communication between layers of the self
- increased flexibility in the plastic self
- emotional regulation in the proto- and core levels
- coherence between internal experience and external expression
Therapy supports the gradual integration of these layers, allowing new meanings, emotions, and relational patterns to emerge.
The Model of the Self provides a map for understanding human complexity. It guides therapists in working with depth while maintaining structure, helping individuals move toward greater coherence, flexibility, and relational capacity.