page_title: Hypostatic model of personality
section_title: Treating typical problems
hierarchical_section_title: Hypostatic model of personality / Methods / Relational therapy / Treating typical problems
caption_attribution_description: English: Relations therapy: direct intrapersonal relations during therapy. Based on information from Tapu CS, (2011) The Complete Guide to Relational Therapy.
context_page_description: The hypostatic model of personality is a view asserting that humans present themselves in many different aspects or hypostases, depending on the internal and external realities they relate to, including different approaches to the study of personality. It is both a dimensional model and an aspect theory, in the sense of the concept of multiplicity. The model falls into the category of complex, biopsychosocial approaches to personality.
  The term hypostasis can cover a wide range of personality-related entities usually known as type, stage, trait, system, approach. The history of the concept can be traced back to Peirce's hypostatic abstraction, or personification of traits. Different authors have described various dimensions of the self, personality dimensions and subpersonalities. Contemporary studies link different aspects of personality to specific biological, social, and environmental factors.
  The work on subpersonalities was integrated into a hypostatic model. The model describes personality aspects and dimensions, as well as intra- and interpersonal relations.
context_section_description: Interpersonal problems: relationship management
  Problem definition: I decided that's better for me to leave my boyfriend, and I tried to show him that (expressing thoughts through behavior).
  Problem solution: I decided that's better for me to leave my boyfriend, and I told him that (actively and explicitly communicating thoughts).
  Problem definition: My girlfriend wants to make up with me, and I'm thrilled about that, because that means that she loves me (feeling about the other's intended actions).
  Problem solution: My girlfriend wants to make up with me, and I think that's better for both of us (thinking about the other's intended actions).
  Problem definition: I love my girlfriend, and I always make her gifts (acting out feelings).
  Problem solution: I love my girlfriend, and I'm always gentle with her (expressing feelings).
  Problem definition: I can see in her eyes that she thinks I'm smart (thinking about other's expressions as indicating supposed thoughts).
  Problem solution: I can see in her eyes that she likes me (feeling other's expressions).
  An intrapersonal problem: fear of going to college
  First, client and therapist identify crossed intrapersonal relations, through the following scenario:
  I plan to go to college [thought], but I can't do it [expression]. Thoughts not acted out give rise to pathological expressions (symptoms), because only feelings – and not thoughts – can be really expressed nonverbally. This is a crossed relation between thought and expression;
  I feel anxious and afraid [feeling], and I try to do something about that [action]. This is a crossed relation between feeling and action – the client tries to change his feelings through voluntary action but, as expected, he is unable to.
  The first step of therapy consists of creating direct relations between feelings and expressions, and between thoughts and actions:
  I feel insecure [feeling], and that's why I can't go to college [expression]. The client interprets his inability to go to college as an emotional expression of his insecurity. This is a direct relation between feeling and expression;
  I plan to go to college [thought], and I try to do something about that [action], because I cannot simply command myself not to be afraid anymore (by means of rational decision). This is a direct relation between thought and action.
  In the second step of therapy, the natural result of establishing direct relations is that the problem ceases to exist:
  I plan to go to college [thought], and I try to take concrete steps in that direction [action];
  I don't feel so anxious and afraid [the unwanted feeling is gone], and I feel I can go to college [the unwanted emotional expression is gone]. When I'm afraid about it [accepted feeling], I express my fears [accepted emotional expression].
caption: Establishing direct intrapersonal relations during therapy
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