Introduction to the Unconscious 10.30 - 4.30pm PC414

Administration The Building Feedback Forms

Adrian Scott MSc Senior MBACP Accredited Counsellor & Supervisor www.counsellingme.co.uk 07956 292 740 adrianscott@counsellingme.co.uk

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My Training Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling 1995 Highgate Counselling Centre (Ex WPF) Apprenticeship Model – Own therapy Unconscious life!

My Experience MBACP Senior Accredited Counsellor MBACP Senior Accredited Supervisor for Individuals and Groups Managed Counselling services in Voluntary Sector Providence Row, Brent MIND, Southwark Carers, Phasca, CNWL PCT, Minster Centre, Survivorsuk, MiE, MiH Bereaved, Homeless, Mental health, Carers

Expert Not a guru or unconscious expert Do not know everything Ideas to be Debated / Challenged

Other City Literary Courses Introduction to Psychodynamic Counselling Working with Bereavement Living through Bereavement

Morning Session 10.40 Introduction 10.55 Icebreaker Exercise 12.00 History & Theory of the Unconscious 1pm Lunch  

Afternoon Session 2pm Unconscious Exercise /Mindfulness Group 2.45pm Break 3pm History & Theory of the Unconscious 3.30 Case Examples - Video 4.15 Round Up / Administration 4.30 End

Your Experience & Ideas Examples

Audio Visual Short clips

Learning Outcomes An Understanding of some of the History of the Unconscious An Understanding of some of the Theory of the Unconscious An Understanding of some of your own Unconscious

The Day Wide range of skills in the room Hope you all get something out of it I am not an expert on The Unconscious Encourage you to have your own view

Boundaries Look after yourselves the Unconscious can be a difficult and emotive subject Do not say anything you do not want to say. This is not a therapy group! Confidentiality Agreement - All information should be kept to this room and with this group of people.

Icebreaker Exercise Ask Your Colleague: 1. What brought you here? 2. What is your interest and experience of the subject? 3. What do you want from the day? You will be asked to briefly and concisely to report back what your colleague has told you to the group, and check with your colleague how you did!

What do you want from the Day? Are there any Topics, Issues, that you would like to focus or discuss today? Write on flip chart

10-15 minute Break

Theory of the Unconscious

Our Relationship to Theory

The Theory Tool Guide

Theory Overview Freud How the Unconscious works Nervous System Psychoanalysis – transference Unconscious Bias / Johari Window

Introduction to the Unconscious How do I introduce the unconscious? Like air – feel but not see? Light and shadow? We are hidden to ourselves Scepticism – it doesn’t exist?

Use of Unconscious Can be used by anyone A reason to rationalise their own or other people’s bad behaviour To rationalise strange behaviour and events

Everyday Link to the Unconscious Unconscious / Freud Freudian slip Humour – UK Culture of Manners – unable to be honest? Dreams Free Association Meditation Childhood Marketing / Selling / Business Self Development

Agreement on what it is? As we go about everyday life Another force or energy Contributes to our decisions

Happy If we are happy the Unconscious becomes less relevant If we are unhappy – modern distractions do not work The unconscious can be a way of understanding upset

The Rapport / Relationship Constant throughout History Relationship between magnetiser and magnetised Word ‘Rapport’ from physics – people in a chain with electricity passing through them Hypnotiser’s Sensitivity to what was being said Patients belief in Hypnotiser

The Rapport / Relationship Big improvement in symptoms under hypnosis Patients feelings towards hypnotiser passionate, maternal love

Arrival of Freud!

Sigmund Freud 1856- 1939 Freud was born of Jewish parentage in Freiburg, Moravia the first of seven children. The family moved in 1860 to Vienna, Austria-Hungary (now the Czech Republic ) He went to Paris in 1885 to study under Jean Martin Charcot at the Salpetriere Hospital. There the hypnotic treatment of women, who suffered from a medical state called ‘hysteria’, led Freud to take an interest in psychiatry.

Influence of Josef Breuer His former tutor, Breuer, had with some success by encouraging patients to talk about their past under hypnosis. 1895 they wrote Studies in Hysteria Freud's idea was that all humans have an unconscious drive where potent sexual and aggressive drives, and defenses against them, struggle for supremacy. Freud ‘discovered’ the unconscious mind… but the idea has been around since Homer.

Freud and the Psychoanalytic Unconscious An iceberg is often used to provide a visual representation of Freud’s theory that most of the human mind operates unconsciously. Conscious mind - ego Unconscious mind Further divided into the id - instincts and drive and the superego – conscience

Unconscious Terms Preconscious Thoughts which are unconscious, but not repressed, able for recall Capable of becoming conscious

Unconscious Terms Ego (I) Mediator Defenses are unconscious Id (It) Instinctive part Unconscious hereditary Innate & Repressed / Acquired through experience – in conflict with ego Super ego (Over-I) Judge censor formation of ideals Parental prohibitions and denials

Diagram of the Unconscious

Mental Iceberg

The Nervous System Happy stimuli reached the nervous system – no reaction remains in a neutral state. An unhappy stimuli provokes a greater reaction with more energy needed to keep it away. Stimuli of anxious energy are repelled by the nervous system only to constantly return and to be again repelled. Repetition    Unhappy thought and feelings keep being repelled by the nervous system and returning to it.

Diagram of the The Nervous System Happy Thoughts Neutral Unhappy Thoughts Energy

Summary of the Nervous System The Nervous System wants to remain NEUTRAL Happy Energy / Thoughts are neutral Unhappy energy / thoughts have ENERGY are not tolerated by the nervous system Bounce off the nervous system to go where? The Unconscious?

Characteristics of the Unconscious The Unconscious is full of energy from unpleasant repressed feelings Always wants to escape to the Conscious Always held back by the Pre Conscious and Conscious

Characteristics of the Unconscious The Unconscious cannot remain unconscious? How does it escape into the conscious? How does it pass by the guards of the pre-conscious and conscious?

Note on the Unconscious Patient put under Hypnosis Told that he will wake up and perform the instructed action Performs action without knowledge of why he is doing it, not aware! Conscious action unconsciously set up

Note on the Unconscious Example: Man asked to shout aloud every time the physician claps his hand Which part of the hypnosis is conscious and unconscious? What is the rel between the clap and the shout?

Note on the Unconscious All the triggers associated with the act are unconscious The command clap hands Physician’s influence Recollection of the hypnotic state – the shout All remain unknown (unconscious) to the patient

Note on the Unconscious The shout only recognised as the conscious mind became aware of it Is a shout a shout if it is not heard? Trigger to the shout was the physician’s command – clap hands

Note on the Unconscious Freud’s idea was that the unconscious was the place where painful feelings were placed by repression out of sight/out of mind

Note on the Unconscious Energy needed for unconscious ideas to become conscious Direct access to the unconscious creates repulsion and resistance Conscious recognises unconscious ideas as unpleasant and pushes them back into Unconscious

Note on the Unconscious Dreams / Free Association Dreams are a train of thought aroused during the day – retains activity at night Possible connections to unconscious - in childhood but repressed/excluded from conscious life

Note on the Unconscious Two types of instinct Ego/ Self preservation instincts Sexual instincts

Note on the Unconscious Reversal – only affects only the aims of the instincts Active aim (to be angry) is replaced by (make every one else angry) Reversal of content: “I am angry” to “I will make you angry”

Note on the Unconscious Turning round the subject onto your own self Masochism is sadism turned on the self Repression denial, depression Sublimation un-acceptable turned into acceptable consciously

Note on the Unconscious Repression Instinctual impulses meet with resistance the pass into repression Best way to thwart an instinct is to reject it with a judgement Authority/Super-ego/Father

Characteristics of the Unconscious Uses Disguise Opposites / Parallels / Symbols / Metaphors Usually some connection to original idea

Unconscious Signals

Unconscious Signals

Unconscious Revealed? The Signals are hidden / unnoticeable Parent Me Don’t Hurt me Hold Me Rescue Me Love Me Complete Me Help Me Add to Me Stay with Me Soothe Me Don’t Abuse Me Lead Me

Unconscious Revealed? The Signals are hidden / unnoticeable Reject Me Hurt Me Don’t Help Me Let me sabotage Don’t Stay with me Don’t Complete me Don’t Rescue me Take away from me Abuse Me Agitate me Follow me

Unconscious Revealed? Still Face Experiment

Unconscious Revealed?

Unconscious Revealed? 2 people sitting in a room Talking Cure? No answer – a journey

Unconscious Revealed? One person (practitioner) holds onto their Unconscious Empty Space Other person’s unconscious revealed

Results of revealing the Unconscious ? - No Cure? Not magically happier Able to accept ourselves Accept History we experienced Not told how we experienced history

Environment for Revealing the Unconscious Quiet Calm Slow Gentle Challenging Reflective Not immediate Patience No solution No outcome Takes adjustment – Resistance Frustrating Contrary to 21st Century culture

Unconscious Unknown No one’s unconscious can be known Not even our own Are we able to reflect on what the unconscious is at any one time?????

Psychoanalysis & Archaeology Freud’s Desk

Psychoanalysis Psychological theory conceived 19th / early 20th Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, Mostly by some of Freud's students, such as Alfred Adler, Carl Jung, Wilhelm Reich Later by neo-Freudians such as Erich Fromm, Karen Horney and Jacques Lacan

Psychoanalysis Development is determined by events in early childhood by irrational drives; Drives are largely unconscious Making person aware of meets resistance called defense mechanisms Conflicts between conscious and unconscious (repressed) Liberation from the effects of the unconscious is done by making it conscious with a psychoanalyst

Psychoanalysis Patient lies on the couch and talks Analyst - Blank Screen / does not speak Unconscious brought to light by Free Association Dreams Transference / Counter Transference

Psychoanalysis Realising the unconscious is like an archaeological dig Brush away the earth to reveal another layer Repeat unconscious ideas to patient at each level - Directions to Jerusalem

Psychoanalysis Transference Unconscious redirection of feelings from one person to another The inappropriate repetition in the present of a relationship that was important in a person's childhood Redirection of feelings and desires and especially of those unconsciously retained from childhood toward a new object Copying of emotions relating to repressed experiences, especially of childhood, and the substitution of another person ... for the original object of the repressed impulses Better understanding of the patient's feelings

Psychoanalysis Transference Transference can form a relationship of Erotic Feelings Rage / Hatred Mistrust Parent / Extreme dependence Putting therapist in a god-like or guru status

Psychoanalysis Counter-Transference Psychoanalyst’s feelings towards the patient Emotional entanglement with a patient. Psychoanalyst’s familiarity own countertransference is as critical as understanding the transference Valuable insight into what patients are attempting to elicit in them.

Parallel to Hypnosis – Childhood Example Awake child Has a painful experience Child “forgets / stores” experience (suggestion /command /trigger) At later stage in adulthood - “forgotten experience” is remembered by (suggestion /command /trigger ) Adult relives childhood pain

Childhood Teaching Example Child bitten by dog on a hill walk with family Dog Lover Parent blames child. Child hurt. Child “forgets” painful experience Later in life “forgotten experience” is remembered by (suggestion /command/trigger) Adult dislikes hill walking / dogs

Client working hard and fast in sessions Transference Example Client working hard and fast in sessions In contact with painful difficult feelings to the point of being overwhelmed After a month disclosed that she feels very frightened particularly before and after sessions

Transference Example In Supervision Group a Trainee counsellor presented a caseload of clients (3) who in different ways are Dis-connected Trainee talked about his frustration of clients’ stuckness, lack of reflection & not being with feelings

Jokes and The Unconscious Stereotype Jokes based on one theory Freud thinks that jokes emerge from an unconscious aggression as a way of bypassing the internal censor Joking is about laughter replacing anxiety and fear A way of expressing unconscious thoughts particularly in public and social situations