Psychoanalytic Therapy: Freud's Approach

Psychoanalytic Therapy

• Sigmund Freud founded psychoanalytic therapy
• It is a model of personality development and therapeutic intervention
• Emphasizes unconscious motivation, childhood experiences, and psychosexual development
• These aspects are key determinants of human behavior
• Freud's work has significantly influenced modern psychotherapy

View of Human Nature

• Behavior is shaped by unconscious drives, irrational forces, and biological instincts, especially during the first six years of life
• Life Instinct (Libido) drives human motivation, survival, growth, and creativity
• Death Instinct accounts for aggression and self-destructive tendencies

Structure of Personality

• Personality is composed of three parts
• Id: The primitive and instinctual part, driven by the pleasure principle
• Ego: The rational mediator, governed by the reality principle
• Superego: The moral conscience, enforcing societal and parental values

Conscious and Unconscious Mind

• Conscious Mind contains thoughts, perceptions, and feelings that we are aware of
• Unconscious Mind stores repressed memories, desires, and experiences that influence behavior
• Freudian Slip: Accidental slips of the tongue reveal unconscious thoughts

Anxiety and Ego-Defense Mechanisms

• Anxiety results from conflicts between the id, ego, and superego
• Types of Anxiety include:
• Reality Anxiety: Fear of real-world dangers
• Neurotic Anxiety: Fear of losing control over instincts
• Moral Anxiety: Guilt over violating moral standards
• Defense Mechanisms are unconscious coping strategies to protect the ego
• Repression: Blocking painful memories
• Denial: Refusing to accept reality
• Projection: Attributing one's feelings to others
• Rationalization: Justifying behavior with false logic
• Displacement: Redirecting emotions to a safer target

Development of Personality

• Freud's Psychosexual Stages:
• Oral Stage (0-1 year): Focus on mouth activities like sucking
• Anal Stage (1-3 years): Focus on bowel control
• Phallic Stage (3-6 years): Development of Oedipus/Electra complex
• Latency Stage (6-12 years): Sexual energy is dormant
• Genital Stage (12+ years): Maturity in sexual and social interactions

Erikson's Psychosocial Development

• Expanded Freud's theory, emphasizing lifelong personality development
• Introduced eight stages of psychosocial crises, such as trust vs. mistrust and identity vs. role confusion

Therapeutic Goals

• Make the unconscious conscious
• Strengthen the ego for realistic decision-making
• Resolve internal conflicts that shape behavior

Role of the Therapist

• Uses a "blank-screen approach," remaining neutral and non-disclosing
• Encourages free association, allowing clients to speak freely
• Facilitates transference, where clients project past emotions onto the therapist

Client's Experience in Therapy

• Long-term commitment is necessary
• Sessions involve free association, dream analysis, and interpretation
• Clients are encouraged to re-examine childhood experiences

Techniques and Procedures

• Includes free association, dream analysis, interpretation, analysis of resistance, and analysis of transference

Free Association

• Clients express thoughts without censorship
• Helps uncover repressed conflicts

Dream Analysis

• Dreams provide a "royal road to the unconscious"
• Latent content (hidden meaning) vs. manifest content (what is remembered)

Interpretation

• Therapist explains hidden meanings in thoughts, behaviors, and dreams

Analysis of Resistance

• Resistance occurs when clients avoid painful insights
• Therapists identify and challenge these resistances

Analysis of Transference

• Clients transfer unresolved emotions from past relationships onto the therapist.
• Working through transference leads to emotional healing.

Jung's Contributions to Psychoanalysis

• Collective Unconscious: A shared storehouse of archetypes and symbols inherited from human history
• Archetypes, such as:
• Persona: Social mask
• Shadow: Dark, hidden self
• Anima/Animus: Feminine aspects in men and masculine aspects in women
• Jung's Dream Analysis: Dreams help perpare for future experiences

Contemporary Trends

• Includes Object-Relations & Relational Psychoanalysis

Object-Relations Theory

• Focuses on early relationships (especially mother-child interactions) in shaping personality
• Unresolved issues lead to relationship difficulties in adulthood

Self-Psychology (Heinz Kohut)

• Emphasizes empathy and self-development
• Healthy relationships provide mirroring for identity formation

Relational Psychoanalysis

• Therapy is a mutual process between therapist and client
• Encourages authentic connections

Strengths

• Recognizes early childhood experiences across cultures
• Erikson's psychosocial approach applies to different cultural backgrounds
• Encourages therapists to self-examine biases

Limitations

• Expensive and time-consuming, making it less accessible
• Less structured approach may not suit all cultural preferences
• Emphasizes internal conflicts rather than external social influences

Overview and Contributions

• Understanding Resistance: Helps therapists recognize why clients avoid certain topics
• Insight into Unfinished Business: Helps clients resolve past trauma
• Role of Transference: Enables deeper emotional exploration
• Exploration of Defense Mechanisms: Helps identify maladaptive coping strategies

Modern Adaptations

• Includes short-term psychodynamic therapy and interactive therapy

Short-Term Psychodynamic Therapy (BPT)

• Condenses psychoanalysis into 10-25 sessions

More Interactive Therapy

• Contemporary therapists use self-disclosure and active participation

Criticisms and Limitations

• Long and costly process, unsuitable for clients needing quick solutions
• Overemphasis on childhood issues, while ignoring current social factors
• Feminist critique of gender biases in Freud's theories
• Cultural insensitivity in traditional psychoanalysis

Key Takeaways

• Psychoanalysis is a foundation for many modern therapies
• This emphasizes unconscious drives, childhood influences, and personality structure
• Freud's model has evolved, incorporating Erikson's psychosocial stages, object-relations theory, and relational psychoanalysis
• Techniques like free association, dream analysis, and transference interpretation help uncover deep-seated emotional conflicts
• Despite criticisms, psychoanalysis remains influential, particularly in understanding personality, defense mechanisms, and emotional healing

Adlerian Therapy

• Alfred Adler developed Alderians therapy
• Emphasizes overcoming inferiority feelings, gaining a sense of belonging, and creating a purposeful life
• Growth-oriented model that encourages personal responsibility, meaning-making, and self-determination
• People can change and grow through social learning

Key Concepts

View of Human Nature

• People develop a life approach in early childhood, which shapes their perception of the world
• Feelings of inferiority drive human motivation, leading individuals to strive for success and mastery
• People can change their behavior through self-awareness and social influence
• Striving for superiority means improving oneself, not competing with others

Lifestyle

• A person's core beliefs, self-perception, and interactions shape their lifestyle, which determines their approach to life challenges

Social Interest and Community Feeling

• People are healthiest when they feel connected to others (social interest)
• Community feeling embodies a sense of belonging and responsibility toward society

Subjective Perception of Reality

• People's perceptions, beliefs, and interpretations of events influence their behavior

Unity and Patterns of Human Personality

• It is called individual psychology
• All aspects of a person are interconnected and work toward a unified life goal
• Behavior is purposeful and goal-oriented
• Adler introduced fictional finalism, where individuals are guided by an imagined life goal they strive to achieve

The Life Tasks

• To be psychologically healthy, individuals must succeed in three life tasks:
• Social relationships (friendships)
• Love and intimacy (romantic relationships)
• Work and contribution to society (career and purpose)
• Psychological problems arise when individuals struggle with these tasks

Birth Order and Sibling Relationships

• Birth order influences personality:
• Oldest children: Responsible, leadership qualities, high achievers
• Second children: Competitive, ambitious, seeks recognition
• Middle children: May feel overlooked but can become peacemakers
• Youngest children: Pampered, outgoing, seeks attention
• Only children: Mature, responsible, may struggle with sharing
• Encourage clients to develop courage and resilience

Client's Experience in Therapy

• Clients explore their "private logic," which consists of personal beliefs and assumptions about the world
• Therapy helps correct faulty thinking patterns

Relationship Between Therapist and Client

• A collaborative relationship is essential
• Emphasizes mutual respect, trust, and goal-setting

Techniques And Procedures

• Involves establishing a relationship and assessing a client's psychological dynamics

Phase 1: Establishing the Relationship

• Therapists build rapport and trust before addressing deep issues
• Encouragement and focus on strengths help clients feel safe in therapy

Phase 2: Assessing Psychological Dynamics

• Counselors conduct lifestyle assessments, analyzing:
  • Family constellation
  • Early recollections (childhood memories that shape beliefs)
  • Current challenges and coping mechanisms

Phase 3: Encouraging Self-Understanding and Insight:

• Clients gain awareness of their behaviors and identify mistaken beliefs
• Therapists ask open-ended questions to help clients reframe experiences

Phase 4: Reorientation and Reeducation

• Action-oriented phase where clients apply new insights
• Encouragement is key to sustaining motivation
• Clients learn to take risks, accept imperfection, and adopt new perspectives

Multicultural Perspective

• Emphasizes social interest and cooperation, making it relevant to collectivist societies
• Encourages clients to view their struggles within a cultural context

Shortcomings

• Birth order theory may not apply to extended families or non-traditional family structures
• Some cultures prefer directive therapy and may not respond well to Adlerian therapy's self-exploration approach
• Western-based self-determination ideas may conflict with family-centered cultures

Contributions of Adlerian Therapy

• Highly flexible and integrative and can be applied in individual, family, and group therapy.
• Brief therapy model effective for short-term interventions
• Major influence on modern therapy methods, including CBT, REBT, and Family Therapy

Key Takeaways

• Adlerian Therapy focuses on overcoming inferiority, fostering social interest, and creating a purposeful life
• The approach is holistic, considering birth order, family dynamics, and personal beliefs

Existential Therapy

Introduction

• It is a philosophical approach to counseling
• It helps individuals explore fundamental human concerns such as freedom, responsibility, meaning, anxiety, isolation, and mortality
• Fosters self-awareness and authentic living.
• It encourages clients to confront existential dilemmas and take responsibility for shaping their own lives

Basic Dimensions of the Human Condition

• Self-Awareness: Greater awareness leads to greater freedom and responsibility
• Freedom & Responsibility: Individuals have the power to choose but must accept the consequences
• Identity & Relationship to Others: Self-discovery is essential for meaningful relationships
• The Search for Meaning: Life gains significance through personal choices and values
• Anxiety as a Condition of Living: Normal anxiety fuels growth; neurotic anxiety paralyzes action
• Awareness of Death & Nonbeing: Recognizing mortality encourages purposeful living

Themes of Self-Awareness

• Freedom, choice, and responsibility are central to self-awareness
• Awareness includes recognizing:
• Life is finite - time is limited
• Every choice has consequences - even inaction is a choice
• Meaning is created - we shape our own experiences

Freedom and Responsibility

• People often avoid freedom because it comes with responsibility
• Existential guilt arises from failing to take responsibility for choices
• Authenticity means embracing freedom while living in alignment with one's values

Striving For Identity and Relationship to Others

• People struggle with identity when they rely on external validation
• Courage is needed to stand alone before forming deep connections
• The I-Thou Relationship involves: Authentic, meaningful relationships occur when we see and value others as human beings, not objects

The Search for Meaning

• Humans naturally seek purpose and significance
• Existential vacuum involves a feeling of emptiness and meaninglessness
• Logotherapy is when individuals find meaning even in suffering

Anxiety as a Condition of Living

• Existential anxiety is a normal response to life's uncertainties
• Neurotic anxiety is excessive, leading to avoidance and psychological distress
• Therapy helps clients accept and use anxiety for personal growth

Awareness of Death and Nonbeing

• Death is a fundamental human reality
• Avoiding thoughts of mortality leads to shallow living
• Embracing death awareness can motivate a more meaningful life

Goals of Existential Therapy

• Help clients become more self-aware and present
• Encourage responsibility for life choices
• Support clients in creating meaning and overcoming existential anxiety

Role of the Therapist

• Do not give advice or quick solutions
• Instead, they help clients explore personal values and take responsibility
• Relationship is based on authentic, human-to-human connection

Existential Therapy: Client Experience

• Clients explore fears, uncertainties, and struggles
• Therapy is not problem-solving but a journey toward self-discovery
• Clients are encouraged to take small, meaningful actions in their lives

Phases of counseling:

• Initial Phase: Clients examine their assumptions about life and take responsibility for choices
• Middle Phase: Clients challenge old beliefs and create new values
• Final Phase: Clients apply newfound awareness and values to real-life actions

Benefits of Existential Therapy

• Those experiencing major life transitions (e.g., grief, career change, aging)
• Individuals struggling with meaninglessness, isolation, or existential crises
• People dealing with trauma, loss, or terminal illness

Multicultural Strengths

• Universally applicable - Addresses fundamental human experiences beyond culture
• Emphasizes personal values - Helps clients integrate cultural and personal identity

Limitations

• Overlooks social and systemic factors (e.g., racism, oppression)
• May not resonate with collectivist cultures that emphasize group identity over individuality

Key Takeaways

• Existential therapy focuses on self-awareness, freedom, and the search for meaning
• Clients are encouraged to take responsibility for their lives and confront existential concerns
• Therapy fosters an authentic relationship between therapist and client, emphasizing presence and connection
• It is useful for individuals facing life transitions, trauma, or a sense of meaninglessness
• It remains influential in modern psychology, inspiring integrative approaches

Person-Centered Therapy (PCT)

• Carl Rogers developed person-centered therapy (PCT)
• Humanistic approach that emphasizes the innate potential for growth in individuals
• People can direct their own healing and self-actualization, with empathy, acceptance, and understanding

Core Values

Key Components:

• People are naturally inclined toward self-actualization
• Humans are fundamentally good and capable of personal growth
• Clients have the freedom and responsibility to shape their own lives

Client-Therapist Relationship: Key components

• The client leads the process and the therapist does not impose solutions
• A supportive and non-judgmental environment is key to healing
• The therapist provides empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard

Periods of PCT: Key components

• Non-Directive Counseling
• The therapist provides a permissive and accepting space for clients to express themselves.
• Client-Centered Therapy
• Focus shifts to client autonomy and inner resources for healing
• Becoming a Person
• The therapy process helps clients develop a stronger sense of self
• World Applications
• PCT expands into education, group therapy, and conflict resolution.

Influential Factors:

• Abraham Maslow emphasized self-actualization and human potential
• Emotion-Focused Therapy integrates PCT with emotional regulation strategies
• Existentialism & Humanism support personal freedom, responsibility, and meaning-making

Key Goals

• Encourage self-awareness and independence
• Help clients become their authentic selves
• Clients define their own goals, rather than therapists setting them

Role of Counselor

• The therapist's attitude, not techniques, drives change
• Provides a genuine, accepting, and empathetic relationship
• Encourages self-exploration without imposing direction

Client Experience

• Clients enter therapy in a state of incongruence
• They confront feelings like fear, guilt, anger, and shame
• They develop self-awareness, flexibility, and self-trust
• They become less dependent on external validation and more authentic in their choices

Role of Genuineness

• The therapist is authentic and does not put on a false front
• The therapist accepts the client fully without judgment
• The therapist deeply understands and reflects the client's experience

PCT Evolution

• Therapy has moved beyond simple reflection of feelings to emphasize deep relational engagement
• Immediacy-the therapist addresses what happens in the moment during the session

The process:

• Therapist does not rely on client diagnosis, unlike traditional approaches
• Utilizes a co-assessment process

PCT applications

• Crisis intervention involves helping clients express emotions following distress
• Group counseling - therapist facilitates interactions rather than directs a client, promoting more genuine interactions

Person-Centered Approaches

• Person Centered Expressive Arts Therapy
• Develops creative expression into therapy (Natalie Rogers)
• Integrations include creative abilities, self-expression, and the combination of art for healing
• Art is a path to self-discovery, according to Natalie Rogers

Developed by Miller & Rollnick

• Integrates PCT principles into behavior change counseling
• Collaborative goal oriented conversations
• Encourage personal change with clients reflecting

Change Phases

• Includes precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance

Person Centered Therapy

• Therapy will be more open and suited to clients
• Used in over 30 countries, applied in counseling, education, and peace-building
• The practice respects diverse world views, with directive clients

Contributors

• Facilitates shifting from therapist focus to therapeutic relationships
• Used worldwide for various fields
• Inspires expressive arts therapy and motivational interviewing
• Uses research in therapy to apply it to other fields

Therapy techniques

• Therapy includes various ways to engage the client therapeutically
• Humans have an innate drive for self-actualization and personal growth
• Therapists provide a supportive environment but do not direct therapy.
• The quality of the client-therapist relationship is more important than techniques.