Identification – a Talk by Dr Zhu Hennessy

Eugene Halliday on Identification.

Throughout his work Eugene regularly reminded us that while a clear sense of
personal identity is an important aid to our development, it can also become
repeated in a restrictive manner that can retard our search for understanding of
ourselves and our environment. Consequently, in his written legacy there are
frequent references to the process of identification through which we establish this
sense of personal identity and how we can learn to observe its effects in order to
better understand and, if we so choose, takes steps towards modifying them. An
essay written by Eugene entitled ‘Psychotherapy’ contains many such references
and is the basis for our study today. Hopefully it will help us take a closer look at our
personal experiences of identification in order to assist our personal insight and
interactions with all around us.