Introduction to the Unconscious Friday 22nd April 2016 10.30 - 4.30pm PC414

Administration The Building Feedback Forms

Adrian Scott MSc Senior MBACP Accredited 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

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

History Overview Ancient cultures Magnetism Dynamic Psychiatry Hypnotism

Theory Overview Freud How the Unconscious works Nervous System Dreams Freud’s Dream Carl Jung

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 Art Hypnosis / Trance States Spiritualism Psychic Development – predicting the future Mediumship – communicating with the dead Mindfulness Meditation Automatic Writing Capitalism - Consumerism Mind Control – Advertising / Technology / Insurance

Everyday Link to the Unconscious Unconscious / Freud Freudian slip Humour – UK! 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

Unconscious Revealed? For the purpose of today my emphasis is more on Meditation Freud Counselling / Psychotherapy

Unconscious Revealed? Welcome Your

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 A slightly larger section that Freud called the preconscious, or what some refer to as the subconscious. It is much larger than the conscious mind and accounts for around 50-60% of your brain capabilities. The section below this is the  unconscious mind.

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??

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 ) Freud studied medicine at the University of Vienna under Josef Breuer, a Viennese physician. From 1882 to 1886 Freud worked at the General Hospital, and experimented among others with cocaine, also using it himself. 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 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 / Sub conscious 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.  So stimuli with a command and energy to move your arm, hits the nervous system and discharges its energy through the physical movement of the arm: the nervous system returns to neutral   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 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?

Characteristics of the Unconscious

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

Intro to Kate Woman in temporary accommodation In rel. with violent boyfriend / friends don’t like him He disappeared with her flat keys Stays with him when he is asleep in the day: does not leave flat 30 minutes late to sessions

Kate Conscious Pre- Conscious Unconscious Repression Distortion Afraid to question herself / or allow others to question Conscious Pre- Conscious Fractured isolated life style Repeating pattern /men abusing her, provoking violence towards herself Repression Distortion She senses that something is wrong: leading a life she doesn’t want Repression Distortion Unconscious Anger/Ideas/Energy satisfied to maintain status quo by entering conscious in a distorted state

Kate 2 Conscious Pre- Conscious Unconscious Fear Pain Repression Afraid to question herself / or allow others to question Conscious Pre- Conscious Angry at boyfriend attracts violence Trusts and believes him, so attracts violence Repeating pattern Repression Distortion 1 2 Has access to feelings of not trusting, not believing 4 3 Repression Distortion Anger turned back by repression Unconscious Angry trying to reach conscious Unsatisfied anger gaining energy Angry situation censored Fear Pain

Repressions 1: Anger her own somebody else’s experienced as un-pleasurable so repressed Learnt anger is bad: family influence? 2: Displacement of object of anger – creates violent situation towards herself 3: Always late: no time to talk: no opportunity to explain 4: Dramatises situation to distract herself /counsellor from her feelings

Reactions Counsellor: irritated and angry on her behalf and with her Concerned for her re: violence. Frustrated with repeating pattern. Wants her to give boyfriend up Supervisor: Angry with her: repeating set up