Finding Who We Are: Exploring Identity in Therapy

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Identity is how we understand and define ourselves. It includes our values, beliefs, personality, culture, relationships, and societal roles. Identity is not fixed; it can change over time as we grow and experience different things. According to psychologists like Crocetti and colleagues, identity is shaped by our environment and interactions with people, such as family, friends, and society. This process continues throughout life. As we develop our identity, we become more aware of who we are, which helps us feel connected and confident in ourselves (Crocetti et al., 2023).In this therapy Sketch, we will explore identity and how it is addressed in therapy.

What is Identity?

Identity is a topic of research in different sub-areas of psychology. Developmental psychology, clinical psychology, and social psychology have long searched for the term identity. Regarding the literature, two main theories have been outstanding: the developmental and socio-psychological aspects. Erik Erikson influenced the developmental aspect of identity. Erikson suggested that identity is something we develop over time. This development mainly focuses on childhood and adolescence. We build our identity through what we learn in childhood, and as an adolescent, having a stable identity is essential because it provides us with a sense of purpose. Without a sense of purpose, it is possible for us to feel confused or lost. Building on this theoretical framework, James Marcia created the identity status model. The identity status model is used for understanding how identities are formed, especially in adolescence (Crocetti et al., 2023). According to this model, there are four stages of identity development:

Identity Achievement: In this stage, a person has explored various options and made firm decisions. For example, it can be choosing a career after considering different fields. This status reflects confidence and a clear sense of self.
Foreclosure: In this stage, a person commits to specific values or a life path without exploring alternatives. Often, these commitments are based on what family or society expects, not necessarily what the person has personally chosen or tested.
Moratorium: In this stage, a person actively explores different options but has not yet decided. It is marked by searching, trying out new roles, and experimenting. It’s a period of questioning but not committing.
Identity Diffusion: In this status, there is neither exploration nor commitment. The individual is uncertain and may feel lost or unmotivated about making life choices, leading to confusion or lack of direction.

Another aspect of identity is the socio-psychological perspective. Henri Tajfel and John Turner propose social identity theory, which examines how roles in social groups, such as family or cultures, shape identity. The theory examines how being part of a social group affects our identity. Our identity is shaped by our family, school, friends, job, and, from a holistic point of view, the culture we live in. We define ourselves not only as individuals but also as our group identities (Crocetti et al., 2023).

Our group identities range from culture and family to nationality, sports teams, or school affiliations. These identities give us a sense of belonging, pride, and shared purpose. This shared identity provides a sense of “we”ness. For example, let’s say you are part of a music band at school. You might start to see yourself as a “band member” and feel a connection with other group members. This social identity will probably shape your behavior. You might practice more, feel proud when the band performs well, and even wear specific clothes or symbols representing the band (Crocetti et al., 2023).

Our social identities can directly impact our points of view, cognitions, and feelings. For example, in German, there are many different impressions of emotion; one specific example is “Fernweh,” which means a longing or an intense desire to travel and explore distant places. This word has no equivalent in English. As you can see, language, which is also part of the culture, can change and influence the expression of emotions, thoughts, and even their expression. Thus, it can affect our feelings, thoughts, and identity (Crocetti et al., 2023).

Types of Identities

There might be a wide range of identities. However, researchers from the University of Elon identified eight identity categories: ability, age, ethnicity, race, gender identities, religion, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation (Elon,2023).

Ability refers to physical, cognitive, mental, and emotional capabilities.
Age influences our perceptions of ourselves, societal position, and how others perceive us. For instance, a teenager may share interests with others, placing them within the young age category.
Ethnicity is a person’s cultural heritage or background; this may include traditions and customs. For example, people from diverse heritage have holidays that they may observe, take pride in the food traditions, and/or identify with others with this same heritage.
Race can be defined as the physical characteristics commonly associated with individuals of common ancestry, according to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary.
Gender identity influences our conceptions of ourselves and our relations to others, including roles or expectations. For example, a woman may share experiences or social challenges with other women, enabling her identification with her gender group.
The religion somebody affiliates themselves with just by description, including beliefs, practices, and community affiliations. A religious person might participate in prayers, attend religious holidays, and feel a sense of community due to the religious aspect.
Socioeconomic status may be a person’s position or status in relation to his or her economic and social standing, usually based on income, education, and occupation. For example, a working-class person may share common struggles and values with others in similar economic circumstances—a shared bond or understanding.
Sexual orientation generally refers to the person to whom an individual feels romantic or sexual attraction. For example, someone identifying as LGBTQ+ would likely share experiences with others from the LGBTQ+ community and gain support, understanding, and acceptance.

Challenges and Common Identity Struggles

Individuals can struggle to understand who they are within their social and personal contexts, even though identity formation seems smooth. Theoretically, it is a really complex process because many factors, including cultural background, social expectations, and personal experiences, influence it. Individuals facing different life stages and experiences may encounter challenges in defining and accepting their identity. These challenges can be as follows:

Challenge 1:

One example might be reconciling multiple aspects of one’s identity. This might be more difficult if the person is from a diverse cultural background. This diverse background can be rooted in family (different cultures of caregivers), or it can move to other countries or cities. For example, individuals who identify with their family’s cultural values and the mainstream culture may experience conflicts between these identities. Balancing these identities can be stressful, as people feel pressure to align with different cultural expectations.

Challenge 2:

Another challenge might be dealing with the expectations set by society or close relationships. Individuals can feel uncertain about making decisions that define their identity, like career choices, values, or personal goals (Schwartz et al., 2005).

Challenge 3:

The other challenge might be the fear of making a “wrong” identity choice. This can prevent people from fully exploring their identity. Individuals may hesitate to try new paths or question long-held beliefs. They also can fear that they might disrupt their sense of self or fail to meet others’ expectations.

These identity struggles are especially prominent during transitional life stages, such as adolescence and emerging adulthood. Therapy can support clients through these transitions by helping them process complex emotions, consider different perspectives, and develop a stable, integrated sense of self that aligns with their goals and values.

The Role of Therapy in Exploring Identity

Therapy can be very helpful for people trying to understand their identities. Identities can change over time, especially in adolescence or young adulthood. According to Schwartz, identity development involves self-construction and self-discovery (Schwartz et al., 2005). Therapy can support self-construction and self-discovery. Let’s look closely at the meaning of these two concepts and how therapy can help.

Self-construction

Self-construction is about making thoughtful choices about who we are and want to be. In therapy, this may involve looking closely at different life choices, setting personal goals, or defining values. For instance, therapists might help you weigh the pros and cons of other career paths, relationships, or educational choices. This approach might encourage you to actively build your identity by making decisions based on reflection and knowledge (Schwartz et al., 2005).

Self-discovery

Self-discovery is about understanding inner feelings, passions, and authentic self. In therapy, this process often includes exploring moments or activities that feel meaningful and engaging. Therapists may use different techniques from different modalities, such as dialectical behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and psychodynamic therapy, to help clients discover what makes them feel truly alive and connected to themselves. This allows clients to understand what they deeply enjoy and value (Schwartz et al., 2005).

Therapy modalities like narrative and psychodynamic dynamic therapy can help with various techniques.

Exploring Identity with Narrative Therapy

Narrative therapy focuses on the stories of people. It helps individuals understand and reshape their narratives to foster a sense of identity. It was created in the 1980s by Michael White and David Epson to show reality and identity are shaped by the stories we create and tell. Since identity holds a great place in narrative therapy, it can help with identity struggles. For example, people can uncover dominant narratives that shape their identities. Also, it allows people to externalize issues they encounter rather than perceive a part of their identity. For instance, people can think that a failure in a specific event can affect their lives profoundly rather than assuming they are a failure. Also, people can collaboratively work with therapists to co-construct alternative narratives. These alternative narratives can include values, hopes, and cognitions that might align with the new identities or in line with the existing ones. This can help narratives to be more empowering and foster a more positive identity perception (Combs et al., 2016)

Exploring Identity with Psychodynamic Therapy

As mentioned in identity development, identity is shaped in early childhood and adolescence. Psychodynamic therapy also focuses on how early experiences, relationship patterns, and unconscious experiences shape our sense of self (which includes identities). Psychodynamic therapy explores especially early relations with primary caregivers. Through this exploration, people can uncover their identities deeper. Also, this can help them resolve internal conflicts (such as identity confusion or conflict between old and new identities). By uncovering and resolving internal patterns and conflicts, people can develop a more integrated sense of self and authentic identities (Gabbard, 2017).

Take-Aways:

Identity is how we understand and define ourselves. It includes our values, beliefs, personality, culture, relationships, and societal roles.”
Our environment and interactions with people, such as family, friends, and society, shape identity.
There is a wide range of identity types, such as ability, age, ethnicity, race, gender identities, religion, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation.
Therapy can play an essential role in helping people understand their identities by supporting both self-construction and self-discovery.

References

Crocetti, E., Albarello, F., Meeus, W., & Rubini, M. (2023). Identities: A developmental social-psychological perspective. European Review of Social Psychology, 34(1), 161-201.
Big 8 Identities workshops offer an introduction to social identities. (2023, September 27). Today at Elon. https://www.elon.edu/u/news/2023/09/27/big-8-identities-workshops-offer-an-introduction-to-social-identities/#:~:text=Eight%20major%20social%20identities%2C%20often,sexual%20orientation%20and%20socioeconomic%20status.
Schwartz, S. J., Kurtines, W. M., & Montgomery, M. J. (2005). A comparison of two approaches for facilitating identity exploration processes in emerging adults: An exploratory study. Journal of Adolescent Research, 20(3), 309-345.
Combs, G., & Freedman, J. (2016). Narrative therapy’s relational understanding of identity. Family process, 55(2), 211-224.
Gabbard, G. O. (2017). Long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy: A basic text. American Psychiatric Pub.

While our physical offices are located in South Loop and Lakeview neighborhoods in Chicago, Illinois for in-person sessions, we also welcome and serve clients for online therapy from anywhere in Illinois and Washington, D.C. Clients from the Chicagoland area may choose in-office or online therapy and usually commute from surrounding areas such as River North, West Loop, Gold Coast, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lake View, Rogers Park, Logan Square, Pilsen, Bridgeport, Little Village, Bronzeville, South Shore, Hyde Park, Back of the Yards, Wicker Park, Bucktown and many more.

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At Roamers Therapy, our psychotherapists are here to support you through anxiety, depression, trauma and relationship issues, race-ethnicity issues, LGBTQIA+ issues, ADHD, Autism, or any challenges you encounter. Our psychotherapists are trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Acceptance, and Commitment Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, and Gottman Therapy.

Whether you’re seeking guidance on a specific issue or need help navigating difficult emotions, we’re ready to assist you every step of the way.

Contact us today to learn more about our services and schedule a session with our mental health professionals to begin your healing journey. To get started with therapy, visit our booking page.

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This page is also part of the Roamers Therapy Glossary; a collection of mental-health related definitions that are written by our therapists.

While our offices are currently located at the South Loop neighborhood of Downtown Chicago, Illinois, we also welcome and serve clients for online therapy from anywhere in Illinois and Washington, D.C. Clients from the Chicagoland area may choose in-office or online therapy and usually commute from surrounding areas such as River North, West Loop, Gold Coast, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lake View, Rogers Park, Logan Square, Pilsen, Bridgeport, Little Village, Bronzeville, South Shore, Hyde Park, Back of the Yards, Wicker Park, Bucktown and many more. You can visit our contact page to access detailed information on our office location.