Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis theory was developed by Sigmund Freud. It looks into the past of clients in order to release repressed emotions and experiences, which is essentially making the unconscious conscious. It believe that current issues developed due to unresolved issues or repressed trauma. Bringing the unconscious out will help the client deal with their current situations.
GoalsThe goal in psychoanalysis is to “achieve equilibrium between the id and the superego.” The id is a person’s instincts and is largely unconscious. The superego is the opposite, it is the conscience desire to follow the rules and guidelines of their world. Psychoanalysis will work on controlling a person’s irrational and harmful impulses. It will attempt to improve the ego and ability to follow the rules and reduce the perfectionism, rigidity, and punitiveness. Another goal is to encourage grounded perspectives and the capacity for healthy relationships and the ability to express one’s self.
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Concepts
Id- The part of the unconscious that wants what it wants, when it wants it.
Example: I need money, I want to rob a bank! Superego- Is the opposite of the id. Instead of being compulsive, the id internalizes the rules and regulations of a person's world. Example: don't rob a bank, it is illegal. Ego- The ego is the piece that decides a reasonable option between the two Example: How about you get a job or borrow some money? |
Transference- This is when the client projects onto the therapist characteristics of another person and reacts to the therapists as if he or she actually does have that characteristic. Freud felt that it was a key component to successful therapy.
Example: "A client who has difficulty depending on others may find themselves feeling resentful, jealous, or angry towards their therapist without realizing there is a connection between these feelings and the therapist's upcoming vacation". This is a negative form of transference.
Countertransference- This is the client's feelings towards the patient which can come from the clinician's own unresolved issues.
Example: "The client might be defiant with the therapist and may transfer her feelings of defiance toward her mother to the therapist. If the therapist reacts to the client as he or she would to her own child, such as by becoming increasingly controlling", it is a negative form of countertransference.
Example: "A client who has difficulty depending on others may find themselves feeling resentful, jealous, or angry towards their therapist without realizing there is a connection between these feelings and the therapist's upcoming vacation". This is a negative form of transference.
Countertransference- This is the client's feelings towards the patient which can come from the clinician's own unresolved issues.
Example: "The client might be defiant with the therapist and may transfer her feelings of defiance toward her mother to the therapist. If the therapist reacts to the client as he or she would to her own child, such as by becoming increasingly controlling", it is a negative form of countertransference.
TechniquesFree Association
-This piece of therapy is when a client says whatever comes to mind without censoring and continues relating one thought to the next. It was used to bring up past material and release intense feelings, and blocks in this chain can mean repressed material. This method can also be done by the therapist saying words and the client stating the first word that comes to mind. The aim is that repressed memories will emerge. -Example: The therapist might state the word 'mother' to which the client responds 'hate'. This clearly has a negative implication and can lead to further investigation. Freudian Slips -We all make mistakes when we are speaking, but according to Freud these slips have meaning. He believes it occurs to do an unconscious thought, -Example: If you call your significant other by another name, it might be because you are simply thinking of someone else at the time, or have feelings for someone by that name. Abreaction -This is the process of recalling a painful experience that had been repressed, working through that painful experience and the conflicts and emotions it created, and analyzing that experience. The final result should be a release which can almost feel like a weight has been lifted. -Example: Recalling a time the client was molested as a child and working to overcome that painful experience. Dream Analysis -This is designed to promote awareness and insight. A counselor will look at a person's dream and go through the meaning of each item. -Example: Having a dream that you are drowning can mean that you are overwhelmed by difficult emotions or anxieties. Interpretation - This method is also designed to promote awareness and insight. It is the process of elucidating the unconscious meaning of the symbols in the topics discussed in therapy. It gives clients a chance to work through material in the unconscious and be able to understand its influence on the present. |