Projective identification simplified: recruiting your shadow.

One of the many gifts of Anne Alonso was her ability to simplify the practice of psychotherapy for her students so that it was accessible without being “dumbed down.” In that spirit, I hope to simplify the murky concept of projective identification so it is readily useable for therapists, especially, in this article, for group therapists. I describe how I teach the concept, which includes the use of visual aids (cartoons, TV and movie clips, and diagrams), and suggest that we replace it with a construct which is less murky and, as a result, more accessible.