Psychoanalytic Therapy
A man should
not strive to eliminate his complexes but to get into accord with them: they
are legitimately what directs his conduct in the world. ~ Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was an Austrian neurologist
and the founder of psychoanalysis. He
dedicated most of his life defining his theory of psychoanalysis. Although he received much criticism for his
work he left behind an intellectual legacy.
Many other theorists use his views and basic concepts as a foundation
for which they build on.
Other significant people who contributed to Psychoanalytic Therapy: Carl Jung and Erik Erikson.
Key concepts
Ø Human nature – Human nature
and experience are determined by irrational drives and unconscious
impulse. These drives and impulses develop
through psychosocial stages that continue through 60+ years of age. He believed that most everyone’s goal in life
was to gain pleasure and avoid pain.
Ø Structure of personality – The
personality is made up of the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is first system of personality and
makes up a person at birth. The id is
ruled by the pleasure principle. It
never matures or thinks. It is mostly
unconscious and only acts or wishes. The
ego controls the personality and is ruled by the reality principle. The ego attempts to weigh the benefits of
satisfying a need and mediates between the external environment and instincts. Last but not least, the superego is the moral
compass of an individual. It contains
moral standards and traditional values that have been handed down from mother
and father to the children. The superego
is the right and wrong of the personality.
Ø Conscious and unconscious –
The unconscious is dreams, slips of the tongue, posthypnotic suggestions,
material derived from free association techniques, material derived from
projective techniques, and the symbolic content of psychotic symptoms. The conscious is the bigger part of the
mind. Unconscious is where repressed
material, memories, and experiences are kept and it interferes with healthy
functioning.
Ø Anxiety – This is a feeling
of uneasiness or dismay and is a result of repressed feelings, desires,
memories, and experiences. It warns of
danger and the level us usually determined by how big of a threat one is faced
with. When the ego finds it difficult to
control anxiety rationally then the ego-defense mechanism kicks in.
Ø Ego-Defense Mechanism – Some
examples are denial, repression, projection, rationalization, and
regression. These behaviors can be
healthy if they are used correctly.
Defense mechanisms can sometimes distort reality and they always operate
on an unconscious level.
Ø Development of personality –
Freud believed that there were psychosexual stages of development that
consisted of the oral stage, the anal stage, and the phallic stage. Erik Erikson believed that there were
psychosocial stages of development.
Therapeutic Goals
Ø
Reducing symptoms by increasing adaptive functioning.
Ø
Resolving conflicts by increasing adaptive functioning.
Ø
Make the unconscious conscious
Ø
Base behavior on reality and not instincts, cravings, or guilt.
Ø
Achieve insight and allow for memories and feelings to be
experienced.
Ø
Assists clients with having better relationships and deal with
anxiety more effectively.
Techniques Used
Ø
Blank Screen Approach – The therapist talks very little about
self and stays neutral with the client.
Ø
Build relationship first and then spends time interpreting and
listening.
Ø
The therapist listens for inconsistencies when the client is
talking and draws a conclusion about the meaning of dreams and free
associations. The therapist is
constantly sensitive to any cues that the client may be giving concerning how
the client feels toward the therapist.
Speaking of techniques, would you like to have your dreams sculpted while you sleep? Download this fun Sigmund app to your iPhone! You will be having coffee with a raccoon while you skydive before you know it!
Fun with Freud
References
Brainy Quote. (2012). Retrieved from:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/sigmund_freud.html
Corey, G. (2012). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy (9th
ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Martin Evan, J. (2012).
Freud, Sigmund. Britannica Biographies, 1.
Adlerian Therapy
No experience is a cause of success or failure. We do not suffer from the shock of our experiences, so-called trauma - but we make out of them just what suits our purposes. ~ Alfred Adler
Alfred Adler (1870-1937) was a physician and
eventually turned his interests to psychiatry.
He was the founder of the Society of Individual Psychology. Adler believed that everyone has a sense of
inferiority and he was the first systemic therapist. He believed that it is important to
understand the system in which people live.
His theories have played an important role in therapy and child
development. He also contributed to
equality between the sexes.
Other significant people
who contributed to Adlerian Therapy: Rudolf Dreikurs, Karen Horney, Erich
Fromm, and Harry Stack Sullivan.
Key concepts
Ø View of Human Nature – The
first six years of a person’s life is when they start forming their
approach. Adler believed that a person’s
past influenced their future. He
believed that people are motivated socially and sexually. He also believed that behavior was on purpose
and conscious. His approach stressed
choice, meaning in life, completion, perfection, and success. Heredity and environment does not determine
behavior. He stressed that where we are
from is not is important as where we are going.
Adlerian Therapy focused on reshaping society and reeducating people.
Ø
Subjective and Perception of Reality – Adlerians try to view
things from the client’s perspective.
This is described as phenomenological.
The person’s perceptions, thoughts, feelings, values, beliefs,
conclusions, and conclusions is the focus.
Ø
Unity and Patterns of Human Personality – The goal is to
understand the entire person. It is
believed that the entire person is connected and all the components take part
in movement toward a goal. There is a
holistic concept to this therapy and it implies that a person cannot be
understood in parts. Everything about a
person is taken into consideration with this approach. The emphasis is on interpersonal
relationships and not just the individual’s internal psychodynamics. This concept concludes that behavior is
purposeful and goal oriented, feelings of inferiority and striving for perfection
is innate, and that people can consciously create a new lifestyle.
Ø
Social Interest and Community Feeling – This is the most
significant concept. This is the
awareness of being part of a community and how a person deals socially with
others. This concept means that a person
gives and takes and strives for making the world a better place. Social interest is to have empathy and to
strive for a healthier and more social life.
This is expressed through sharing activities with and showing respect
for others. Community feeling means that
a person is connected to all of humanity.
This includes past, present, and future.
Those who have no community feeling will eventually become discouraged
and be useless. It is believed that the
problems that people have are the byproduct of fear of not being accepted by
the groups and people that are valued.
Three universal life tasks must be mastered: social task – building
friendships, love-marriage task – establishing intimacy, and occupational task
– contributing to society. These tasks
must be addressed regardless of how old a person is.
Ø
Birth Order and Sibling Relationships – Special attention is
given to the relationships between siblings and the birth position in a
family. The position in which a child is
born increases the probability of certain experiences. The oldest child receives a lot of
attention. She is the center of
attention and tends to work hard and be dependable. The second child has to share the attention
with the older sibling. This child
normally acts as though she is in a race and she is always trying to get
ahead. The second child is usually the
opposite of the first. The middle child
may often feel cheated and will sometimes assume a “poor me” attitude. This child may become problematic or will
hold things together in a family with lots of conflicts. The youngest child is the pampered one. This child will often become very good at
being spoiled and having others serve him.
The youngest child may be totally different from the other siblings and
outshine all the others. The only child
is a lot like the oldest child and may never learn to share or be cooperative
with others. The only child will usually
deal with adults well due to not having other children around to interact
with. This child may be very dependent
on the parents and have to have all the attention throughout their life.
Therapeutic Goals
Ø
To help the client have a sense of belonging and to help foster
behaviors and characteristics by community feeling and social interest.
Ø
Not to cure but to reeducate and reshape society.
Ø
To inform, teach, guide, and offer encouragement to the
client.
Ø
To build confidence, courage, and social interest by overcoming
feelings of discouragement and inferiority.
Ø
To help the client see himself as equal to others.
Techniques Used
Ø
Clients are not labeled with pathological diagnoses.
Ø
Comprehensive assessment of the client’s functioning level is
completed. This is done by doing a
family constellation which is a questionnaire about all people living in the
home, life tasks, and early memories.
Ø
Early memories (before the age of 10 years old) are used by the
counselor to get a better understanding of the client.
Ø
A lifestyle assessment is completed. This is to enable the counselor to better
understand the client’s goals and motivations.
When this is done then the target of therapy is determined.
To learn more about Adlerian Therapy and have fun while doing it
visit:
http://quizlet.com/3828107/adlerian-techniques-flash-cards/
References
Corey, G. (2012). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy (9th
ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Lafountain, R. (2009).
Alfred Adler's Place in the Field of Psychology. The General Psychologist, 44,
22-25.
Martin Evan, J. (2012).
Freud, Sigmund. Britannica Biographies, 1.
Good job. Love the links!
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