CriticaLink | Lacan: The Mirror Stage | Terms

Charlotte Bühler

1893-1974

A researcher and clinician, Charlotte Bühler advocated a "humanistic psychology" that focused on a the integration and fulfillment of a "core self." Her theories emphasized the role of individual life goals in mental health. Bühler's work made many contributions to the psychology of child development and methods for psychological assessment, and she also helped to introduce the "encounter group" into American culture in the early 1970s. In his essay on the mirror stage, Lacan refers to Bühler's observations about transitivism in young children.