Chapter 2 Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Theories

Psychoanalysis The first theory to gain public recognition and acceptance, especially in Europe and the Americas.

Sigmund Freud The person whose genius created psychoanalysis. Born in Freiburg, Austria, in 1856. As a psychiatrist, he initially used hypnosis as his primary form of treatment. Was impressed during medical school by how patients who relive painful experiences can work through emotional events suppressed for years.

Sigmund Freud (cont.) Began using a process called free association to help his patients remember long-forgotten important events and thoughts. Utilized free association to explore the unconscious minds of his patients. Began to stress the importance of the unconscious in understanding personality. Thus was born psychoanalysis.

Freud, Critics, and Sexuality Critics were outraged by his emphasis on the importance of sexuality and aggression in the etiology of personality.

View of Human Nature/Personality The Freudian view of human nature is dynamic. He believed in the transformation and exchange of energy within the personality. Freud focused his techniques on: Levels of Consciousness The formation of personality (Id, Ego, Superego) Psychosexual Development Defense Mechanisms

Levels of Consciousness For Freud, human nature can be explained in terms of: A Conscious Mind A Preconscious Mind An Unconscious Mind

Conscious Mind Attuned to events in the present and an awareness of the outside world.

Preconscious Mind An area between the conscious mind and unconscious minds; it contains aspects of both. Hidden memories or forgotten experiences can be remembered in this area if given the proper cues.

Unconscious Mind Beneath the preconscious mind. The most powerful and least understood part of the personality. The instinctual, repressed, and powerful forces of the personality exist here.

Formation of Personality Freud hypothesized that the personality is formed from the interaction of three developing parts. The Id – confined to the unconscious The Ego – operates primarily in the conscious but also in the preconscious and the unconscious. The Superego – confined to the unconscious.

The Id The id is the source of all energy. Comprises the basic inherited givens of the personality and is present from birth. It is amoral, impulsive, and irrational. Pleasure principle – it pursues what it wants because it cannot tolerate tension.

The Id The id contains: Basic life energy and life-preserving instincts collectively known as eros. The psychic energy that accompanies them known as libido. Basic death instincts known as thanatos.

Primary Process Operates through drives, instincts, and images (e.g. dreaming, hallucinating, and fantasizing) – a process known as primary process. May bring temporary relief but ultimately unsatisfying.

The Ego The second system to develop after the id and before the superego. A strong ego is essential to healthy functioning. Moderates the wishes and desires of the id and superego to keep the person from being too self-indulgent or too morally restrained. Reality principle – it devises ways to achieve appropriate goals, obtain energy for activities from the id, and keep the person in harmony with the environment.

Secondary Process The ego’s way of thinking is known as the secondary process. Rationally thinking through situations.

The Superego It is the moral branch of the mind and operates according to what is ideal. Contrasts with the id. Functions according to the moral principle – strives for perfection and arises from parental moral teachings.

The Superego Ego Ideal – rewards those who follow parental and societal dictates. Conscience – part of the superego that punishes by inducing guilt when you act against what you have been taught. By striving for perfection, the superego sometimes forces a person into restrained or no action when facing a dilemma.

Psychosexual Stages of Development Oral stage – mouth is chief pleasure zone. Anal stage – anus is chief pleasure zone. Phallic stage – sex organs are chief pleasure zone. Latency – a time with little manifest interest in sexuality. Genital stage

Oral Stage The first stage. Children under the age of 1. Obtain basic gratification from sucking and biting.

Anal Stage The second stage. Children between the ages of 1 and 2 delight in either withholding or eliminating feces. First really significant conflict between the child’s internal instincts and external demands.

Phallic Stage The third stage. Children between the ages of 3 and 5 attempt to resolve their sexual identities. Members of both sexes must work through their sexual desires. Oedipus Complex / Electra Complex Freud thought that the basic ingredients of the adult personality had formed by the end of this stage.

Oedipus Complex / Electra Complex Oedipus Complex – a boy must work through a desire to possess his mother sexually. Electra Complex – a girl blames her mother for the fact that she has no penis. Both sexes perceive the father as a great rival for the mother’s love and attention.

Latency Children between the ages of 6 and 12. Energy is focused on peer activities and personal mastery of cognitive and learning and physical skills. Little manifest interest in sexuality.

Genital Stage The fourth and final stage. If all has gone well, around puberty each gender takes more of an interest in the other and normal heterosexual patterns of interaction appear. If there were unresolved difficulties in the first three stages (pregenital stages), Freud believed two difficulties could arise: Excessive frustration Overindulgence

Heinz Kohut Proposed object-relations theory. A much less sexually based view of child development. An object is anything that satisfies a need, whether a person or thing.

Erik Erikson Proposed that development extends over the life span. Psychosocial factors are much more important than psychosexual ones. Focuses on the achievement of specific life-enhancing tasks.

Erikson’s Life Achievement Tasks

Defense Mechanisms Protect a person from being overwhelmed by anxiety through adaptation to situations or through distortion or denial of events. Are normal and operate on an unconscious level.

Common Defense Mechanisms Repression Projection Reaction Formation Displacement Regression Rationalization Denial Identification

Role of the Counselor/Therapist Play the role of expert. Encourage client to choose topic to talk about, especially childhood experiences. Attempt to create comfortable atmosphere. Encourage development of transference.

Goals Help clients become more aware of the unconscious aspects of their personalities. Work through unresolved developmental stages. Cope with the demands of society.

Process and Techniques Free association Dream Analysis Analysis of Transference Analysis of Resistance Interpretation

Multicultural and Gender Sensitive Issues Has transcended cultural barriers. Concepts seem to have relevance for different parts of society. Many women avoid psychoanalysis.

Strengths and Contributions Emphasizes importance of sexuality and unconscious. Heuristic Theoretical base of support for diagnostic instruments. Reflects complexity of human nature. Has developed over years, not stagnated. Effective for a wide variety of disorders. Stresses importance of developmental growth stages.

Limitations and Criticisms Time consuming and expensive. Difficulty with older clients. Claimed almost exclusively by psychiatry. Overly complicated terminology. Deterministic. Not appropriate for most individuals who seek professional counseling.

The Case of Linda: Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Theories How would you conceptualize this case using psychoanalytic therapies? What would be your treatment plan for this client using a psychoanalytic approach?