Various concepts of the self are present in many social psychology topics. Research studies related to self-identity, self-concept, self-esteem, and other fundamental social constructs regarding the self are abundant, and much evidence suggests that the self can be described and compared to a plethora of social motivations that are the subject of research and examination. throughout social psychology. However, for counseling psychologists, how can we make sense of and use the phenomena learned through social psychology research to help our work in counseling practice? It is important to take what the field of psychology has learned from science and apply it to psychological practice in order to take full advantage of the quality of information collected over the years. What follows is a discussion of the self in social psychology and the implications of this fundamental psychological construct for counseling practice. The wealth of knowledge written on the topic of self in social psychology presents important and useful constructs that help us understand ourselves. in relation to interactions with others. For example, there are topics written about self-escapism, self-esteem and failure, the self as a stressor, and the loss of self in relation to spiritual happiness or ecstasy (Baumeister , 1991). Other topics related to the “self” in social psychology include understanding the self in terms of cognitive, affective, and behavioral constructs (Fiske, 2004). Additionally, Fiske (2004) identifies several conceptual definitions of the self, such as the inner self and the social self, and defines the primary social motivations of the self as understanding, improvement, and belonging. However, many researchers have investigated more specific understandings of the self in relation to...... middle of article...... Stapleton, JA, Taylor, S., & Asmundson, GG (2006). Effects of three PTSD treatments on anger and guilt: exposure therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, and relaxation training. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 19, 19-28. Tangney, JP, Burggraf, SA and Wagner, PE (1995). Tendency to shame, guilt and psychological symptoms. In JP Tangney & KW Fischer (Eds.), Self-conscious emotions: The psychology of shame, guilt, embarrassment, and pride (pp. 343–367). New York, NY, USA: Guilford Press. Taylor, S.E. & Brown, J.D. (1988). Illusion and well-being: a socio-psychological perspective on mental health. Psychological Bulletin, 103, 193-210. Taylor, S.E. & Brown, J.D. (1994). Positive illusions and well-being revisited: separating fact from fiction. Psychological bulletin, 116, 21-27.