Exam #3

Tuesday, November 10th, 2026

What is the psychodynamic perspective?

rooted in psychoanalytic theory, founded by Sigmund Freud the most influential contributor of the field of personality and therapy

What was psychoanalysis?

basis for talk therapy, influenced by Jean Carcot and Josef Breur

used by Frued in his practice

What did Jean Carcot discover regarding hypnosis and hysteria?

when under hypnosis, symptoms would go away and patients would reveal the trumatic even that caused them pain

What did JJosef Bruer discover regarding hypnosis and hysteria?

when hypotized Anna O revealed when symptoms first began, when she awoke the symptoms were gone

What was the focus of psychoanalysis?

brining unconscious to conscious, these ideas were revolutionary at the time

How was psychoanalytic treatment?

• multiple sessions per week for 3-5+ years

• modern is 1-2 sessions/week for 1+ years

• therapy for the affluent (high cost = time + money)

• Phd and masters level providers

What was Freud’s assumption of psychic determinism?

the idea that everything has meaning, purpose, and significance

unconscious motivation was the cause of disturbed beavhior

What was Freud’s assumptions of insticts?

they were the ultimate explanation for behavior

• eros = life instncts (positive aspects of behavior)

• thantos = death instincts (negative aspects of behavior)

What was Freud’s personality structure of the Id?

• pleasure principle

• deep, inaccessible portion of the personality

• instincts, urges, desire for immediate gratification without values, ethics, or logic

What was Freud’s personality structure of the Ego?

• realtiy principle

• arises out of inadequacies of the Id, balances the Id and Superego

• cannot always act on impulses

• rational and planful dimension

What was Freud’s personality structure of the Superego?

• morality principle

• represents ideals and values of society

• develops in childhood

• rewards/punishments

• goal is to block the Id from inluencing the Ego

What was Freud’s perspective on reality anxiety?

real danger from outside world

What was Freud’s perspective on neurotic anxiety?

fear that Id impulses will be express unchecked

What was Freud’s perspective on moral anxiety?

fear that one will not conform to standards of conscience

What was the goal of anxiety according to Freud’s perspective?

warning signal to the Ego

What defense mechanism did the Ego use to cope with anxiety?

repression - when the Id has an impulse and the superego rejects it, the ego suppresses it

projection - when the Id has an impulse and the superego rejects it, the ego projects it onto other people

What did Freud think the role of insight was?

total understanding of unconscious determinants of irrational feelings, thoughts, or behaviors that are causing problems

removed neurosis

How was insight achieved according to Freud?

by the “working through process”

• very vague and extensive process

• go through stages of psychoanalysis

What is the interpretation technique of psychoanalytic therapy?

method by which the unconscious meaning of thoughts and behaviors is revelaed

patient begins to view thoughts, behaviors, feelings, and wishes in a different manner

clients like analyzing their behaviors but can be subjective, time-consuming, the person might not change, and it is not based on science

What are the assessment measures of psychoanalytic therapy?

how do we measure insight?

projective tests (eg., Rorschach)

low reliability, validity, difficult, and time-consuming

issues of defining change and endpoints

What is the free association technique of psychoanalytic therapy?

client says everything and anything that comes to mind

gets closer to unconscious thoughts and urges

What is the analysis of dreams technique of psychoanalytic therapy?

based off the idea that dreams are symbolic representations of unconscious urges

• manifest content: what actually happens in the dream

• latent content: the symbolic meaning behind what happend in the dream

How is psychopathology viewed in everyday life?

there are no accidents or mistakes, these things are the conscious expression of an unconscious wish

What is a Freduain slip?

if we mispeak that is what we mean unconsciously

What is resistence in psychoanalytic therapy?

any action that prevents insight or brining unconscious material into consciousness

What is transerence of psychoanalytic therapy?

the patient reacts to the therapist as if they represent some importnat figure from the patients childhood

the therapist uses it to reveal unresolved conflicts

What are psychoanalytic alternatives

now called psychoanalytically oriented or psychodynamic

• less strict, more flexible

• fewer sessions/week

• shorter in overall length

Does psychodynamic therapy work for children and adolescents?

less support for efficacy and effectiveness

would fall in the category of “experimental” according to the APA

Does psychodynamic therapy work for adults?

mixed results

• Shedler (2010): reviewed findings and found it effective

• Anetsis et al (2011): Shelder omitted studies that contradicted him, included methodologically flawed studies

• Gibbons et al (2008): redid analysis with better studies - found some support for certain disorders

Does psychodynamic therapy work overall?

incredibly important to treatment development but little evidence for efficacy

most modern forms that demonstrate efficacy/effictivness diverge pretty far from historical origins

IPT is “well-established” treatment for depression and some eating disorders

What is Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)?

one form of psychodynamic therapy: “insight-oriented approach”

depression is the result of interpersonal problems

much shorter than traditional psychoanalysis

What does the therapist target in IPT?

CURRENT major problem areas

• grief

• role transitions

• role disputes

• interpersonal deficits

What are the phases of IPT?

phase 1 (pretreatment)

• diagnositic evaulation

• psychiatric history

• interpersonal functioning assessment

• psycoeducation

• therapist provides clinical formulation of client problems

phase 2 (active)

• work on identified problem area

phase 3 (termination

• discuss progress

• consolidate skills

• reinforce confidence

• methods of dealing with recurrence

What are techniques used in IPR?

address ability of patient to assert needs

validation and expression of emotions

role play

cheerleading and troubleshooting

no homework between sessions

What is the phenomenological theory?

behavior is totally determined by the phenomenal field of the person

What is the phenomenal field in the phenomenological theory?

everything experienced by the person at a given time

What is the phenomenal self?

the part of the phenomenal field that the person experiences as “I”

• self esteen

• the basic human urge is to preserve and enhance it

• the root of all behavior

What happens when the phenomenal self is threatened or in danger?

problems in adjustment arise, or the experience is integrated into the phenomenal field

What is client-centered therapy?

rooted in phenomenological theory developed by Carl Rogers in the 1940s on college campuses and continues to be used in counseling

it is more of an attitude than a set of specific techniques

it is non-directive

What does it mean in client-centered therapy to be non-directive?

therapist does not recommend things for the client to do or tell them what to change

What is the overall view of the core features of client-centered therapy?

• all people have the capacity for competence

• “growth potential”

• all people are striving for self-actualization

• the therapist’s job is to release this capacity for growth

What are the three core features of client-centered therapy?

• empathy

• unconditional positive regard

• congruence

What is empathy in client-centered therapy?

• a sense of understanding

• see the world through the client’s eyes

• cleint feels valued and supported

What is unconditional positive regard in client-centered therapy?

• complete acceptance of the client

• respect for the client

• faith and trust in the client’s ability to reach their potential

• complete lack of judgment

• to all clients, all the time, no matter what

What is congruence in client-centered therapy?

• genuineness

• expressing the behaviors, feelings, or attitudes that the client stimulates

What are Dos of the therapeutic process of client-centered therapy?

• recognize and clarify feelings

• “reflections”

• convey unconodtional acceptance

What are the Don’ts of client-centered therapy?

• give information

• give advice

• use reassurance

• use persuasion

• ask questions

• offer interpretations

• make criticisms

Are diagnosis and assessments used in client-centered therapy?

they are avoided

• belief that the person is the best source of information about the self

• belief that formal assessment is detrimental

How are clients treated in client-centered therapy?

every client is treated exactly the same way

• empathy, unconditional positive regard, and congruence are necessary and sufficient for psychotherapy to be successful with any client

Does client-centered therapy work?

• although Rogers was a big proponent of research, there is little research regarding its effectiveness and efficacy

• association between self-actualization and psychological well-being

• the components that work = the core features and high-quality therapeutic alliance

Is client-centered therapy better than no treatment?

• adults in treatment do better (on average) than about 70-80% of those not receiving treatment

• specific problems such as depression and relationship programs seem to respond to client-centered approaches

How is client-centered therapy categorized by the APA?

not a “well-established” treatment for any mental health disorder

What are the multicultural considerations of client-centered therapy?

• clinicians sometimes reveal their own values to clients in therapy

  • risk of misinterpretation when working with clients from backgrounds other than their own

• clients from collectivist cultures do not identify with Western (individualist) traditions

  • do not respond well to therapy

• therapists should be sensitive to clients’ culture

How is the multiculural process effected by client-centered therapy?

• 75% of studies overlook race and ethnicity information of participants *working on improving in recent years

• leads to culturally biased assumptions regarding “health” and “unhealthy” behavior

What are the multicultural considerations of Freud?

• upper-middle class upbrining in Vienna

• aware of anti-Semitism directed toward him

• was sensitive to cultural and class issues

• sociocultural context overlooked in intrapsychic phenomenon

What are the multicultural considerations of Carl Rogers?

• middle-class upbringing in the Midwestern United States

• questioned Christian values

• Taoism influenced client-centered therapy