Psychoanalysis

Founders/Developers
Sigmund Freud, an Austrian psychiatrist (1856-1939), is the main figure behind
psychoanalysis. He created the main ideas of this approach. His daughter, Anna
Freud, further worked on it, especially in understanding children and defense
mechanisms. Later, Heinz Kohut expanded the theory by focusing on relationships
and emotional development, creating object relations theory.
Psychoanalysis: Psychoanalysis is a set of psychological theories and methods of
therapy founded by Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis revolves around the belief that
everyone has unconscious thoughts, feelings, desires, and memories.
Psychoanalysis therapy is used to release repressed emotions and experiences.
View of Human Nature: Freud believed human nature is dynamic, he believed
that individuals have dynamic personalities meaning that human nature is always
changing and exchanges of mental energy. He described the mind as having three
levels:
1. Conscious mind: What we are aware of right now.
2. Preconscious mind: Memories or thoughts we aren’t actively thinking about but
can recall if needed.
3. Unconscious mind: Hidden thoughts and needs that we are unaware of but
strongly influence our behavior.
Freud also divided the personality into three parts:
1. Id: The part of our mind that wants pleasure and do things based on natural,
automatic desires like hunger, safety, or pleasure, without thinking about
whether it's right or wrong.
2. Ego: The decision-making part, that makes decisions by balancing what we
want (id) with what is realistic and possible, finding practical solutions
3. Superego: The superego is the part of our mind that reminds us of what is
right and wrong, based on the values and rules that we learned from our
parents and society.
Stages of Development
Freud believed that personality develops through five stages
 1. Oral Stage (birth -1 years)
2. Anal Stage (1-3 years)
3. Phallic Stage (3-6 years)
4. Latency Stage (6-12 years)
5. Genital Stage (12+ years)
Role of the Counselor:
1. The counselor helps the client explore their thoughts, especially about
childhood.
2. Helps the client understand problems from the past that still affect them.
3. Encourages the client to connect old feelings with current relationships.
4. Explains the client’s thoughts and feelings, which is different from other
methods.
Goals of Psychoanalysis:
1. Explore the unconscious: Understand hidden thoughts and feelings.
2. Resolve inner conflicts: Address unresolved issues from the past.
3. Increase self-awareness: Help individuals understand their behaviors and
emotions.
4. Promote healing: Alleviate emotional distress and improve mental well-being.
5. Encourage personal growth: Foster healthier coping strategies and emotional
development.
Techniques:
1. Free Association: In this technique, the client speaks freely and says
whatever comes to mind, even if the thoughts seem silly, irrational, or
painful. The goal is to let unconscious thoughts come to the conscious mind.
And then counselor can interpret them.
For example: A client starts by talking about their lunch, then suddenly mentions
an argument they had with a sibling. The counselor explores how these thoughts
might be connected to deeper feelings about family.
2. Dream Analysis: Freud believed that dreams were a key way to understand
the unconscious mind. He called them "the royal road to the unconscious."
In dream analysis, clients are encouraged to recall their dreams. The
 counselor helps interpret both the obvious meaning (manifest content) and
the hidden meaning (latent content) of the dreams.
For example: A client dreams of being pushed by a shadowy figure. The
counselor interpret that the shadow might represent the client's fear of facing old
kproblems or emotions they've been avoiding.
3. Analysis of transference:
In psychoanalysis, transference happens when a person unconsciously directs
feelings or reactions from past relationships (like with parents or close family
members) onto their therapist.
For example, a patient might start feeling angry at the therapist because they
remind them of a strict parent, even if the therapist hasn't done anything wrong.
The analysis of transference involves the therapist interpreting these projections
(someone puts their unresolved feelings or issues onto others) to help the patient
gain insight into their unresolved emotional issues. Through this process, the
therapist helps the patient recognize and understand these unconscious patterns,
which can then be addressed and worked through.
4. Analysis of Resistance:
Sometimes clients make progress in therapy but then slow down or stop. This is
called resistance. It can show up in various ways, like missing appointments or
refusing to talk about certain things. The counselor analyzes these behaviors to
help the client understand and overcome resistance.
For example: Sarah was doing well in therapy, but then started missing sessions
and wouldn't talk about her childhood. When the therapist asked, Sarah said it felt
too hard. The therapist helped her take small steps to talk about it when she was
ready.
5. Interpretation
Interpretation is when the counselor helps the client understand the reasons behind
their thoughts, feelings, and actions. It’s about explaining what certain events in
their life might mean. It’s important to use interpretation at the right time – too
soon, and it might upset the client, but if it's used too little, the client may not
understand themselves as well.
For example: Maria dreams about losing her keys and feeling frustrated. The
therapist suggests it might relate to feeling "locked out" from childhood memories.
This helps Maria understand her anxiety is linked to past feelings of abandonment.
Strengths and contributions:
1. Focus on Sexuality and the Unconscious: This theory highlighted how
important unconscious thoughts and sexuality are in shaping human behavior.
Before psychoanalysis, people didn’t pay much attention to childhood sexuality or
unconscious influences.
2. Encourages Research: Psychoanalysis has led to many studies and new ideas.
It’s helpful for exploring how the mind works, making it useful for scientific
research.
3. Helps with Diagnostic Tools: Some psychological tests, like the Thematic
Apperception Test (TAT) or Rorschach Ink Blots, are based on psychoanalytic
ideas, helping diagnose different mental health issues.
4. Effective Treatment: Psychoanalysis has proven helpful for treating a wide
range of mental health problems, such as anxiety, phobias, personality issues, and
sexual difficulties.
Limitations:
. Time-Consuming and Expensive: It takes a lot of time and money. Sessions
usually happen 3 to 5 times a week, over several years.
2. Not Suitable for Everyone: It works best for middle-aged people who are
feeling lost or searching for meaning in life. It may not be effective for older
clients or people with different needs.
3. Limited Access to Training: Psychoanalysis is mostly controlled by psychiatry,
making it hard for counselors or psychologists without medical degrees to get
proper training.
4. Complex Terminology: Many concepts in psychoanalysis, like the id, ego, and
superego, are hard to explain and understand. The language can be complicated.
5. Not for Everyone: Psychoanalysis is mostly for people with serious mental
health struggles or those wanting to deeply explore their unconscious thoughts. It’s
not typically used for people with general counseling needs.