INTEGRATED MODEL OF PERSONAL SELF-WORTH DEVELOPMENT IN THE PROCESS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSISTANCE

Abstract

The article presents the results of a theoretical study aimed at systematizing and integrating psychotherapeutic approaches to the development of personal self-worth. Self-worth is conceptualized as a fundamental component of mental health that determines stress resilience, the quality of interpersonal relationships, and the capacity for self-realization. In contemporary conditions, particularly within the context of the war in Ukraine, the demand for effective tools to strengthen self-worth as a component of psychological resilience has significantly increased. In the authors’ previous publication (Mykolenko, 2024), a detailed analysis of selected concepts of self-worth development was conducted (A. Adler, E. Berne, C. Rogers, V. Satir, A. Längle, V. Oaklander, L. Bourbeau), with attention to their theoretical foundations and practical tools. In this article, these approaches are expanded through the inclusion of the concepts of N. Branden, K. Neff, and K. Hibbert, and synthesized into a single integrated model for comprehensive systemic application in psychological assistance.

The analysis covers eleven key psychotherapeutic approaches:

Adler’s individual psychology (overcoming inferiority through encouragement and re-authoring the life plan);

Transactional analysis by E. Berne and M./R. Goulding (the concept of “OK-ness,” revising early childhood decisions);

1. Rogers’s client-centered therapy (unconditional positive regard, self-acceptance);
2. Satir’s family therapy (“Self-Esteem Declaration,” “Self-Worth Chest” and related practices);
3. Branden’s model of the Six Pillars of Self-Esteem (conscious living, self-acceptance, responsibility, self-assertion, purposefulness, integrity);
4. Längle’s existential analysis (experiencing the value of the Person through attention, fairness, and recognition of personal worth);
5. Oaklander’s Gestalt approach in child therapy (dramatic creativity as a means of expressing the authentic Self);
6. Bourbeau’s trauma-focused approach (healing the “wound of rejection”);
7. Neff’s concept of self-compassion (self-kindness, common humanity, mindfulness; the MSC program);
8. Hibbert’s Self-Worth Pyramid (self-awareness, self-acceptance, self-love).

Recurring ideas were identified across the approaches: self-knowledge as a foundation (reflection, conscious living, mindfulness); self-acceptance and reduction of self-criticism; overcoming childhood-based limiting beliefs; authenticity and responsibility; recognition of one’s value by others; crises as opportunities for growth. These ideas are summarized in a comparative analysis table.

Based on the synthesis, the authors propose an integrated model of self-worth development that includes: ontogenetic conditions contributing to low self-worth (conditional acceptance, rejection, losses); cognitive, emotional, and behavioral manifestations; three stages of psychological assistance (situation analysis, uncovering the self-worth connection, development); and eight interrelated directions of client work (emotion awareness, replacing faulty beliefs, forming a realistic self-image, self-acceptance, revising decisions about personal worth, authentic self-expression, responsibility, recognition of one’s value by others). The model incorporates specific practices such as reflection, role-playing, sentence completion, self-compassion break, and self-acceptance journaling.

The model is visualized in a diagram (Figure 1). Its scientific novelty lies in its integrative nature, complexity, flexibility (applicable to individual and group formats), practicality (availability of concrete exercises), and universality (applicable to diverse client categories). It enables the creation of flexible psychological assistance programs aimed at enhancing adaptability and resilience. Conclusions: the model systematizes existing approaches and offers tools for practice. Future research directions include empirical testing of the model; development of a group intervention program and evaluation of its effectiveness; and studying differential impacts based on age, gender, and client request.