Lecture #2 (Freud + Classic Psychoanalysis)

How did Psychoanalysis and Psychodynamic begin?

Influenced by Freud’s psychoanalysis theory

What are Psychoanalysis and Psychodynamic influenced by?

• Iceberg Theory

• Early Forms of Treatment

• Emmanuel Movement

• Hypnosis

• Mesmerism

• Evolutionary Theory

• Topics of Sex + Sexuality

Psychoanalysis and Psychodynamic Focus

On the unconscious, past experiences, + stages of dev; Insight and understanding into what influences an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors is important

What is Freud’s Psychoanalysis Theory based on?

Bio, sexual + aggressive instincts as primary motives for behav

Sigmund Freud

Developer of the first talk therapy known as psychoanalysis

First Known Talk Therapy

Psychoanalysis

Some of Freud’s early experiences that influenced his thought

• Brother dying young

• Jewish

• Growing up in large fam

3 Systems that Comprise Personality Structure

1. Id

2. Ego

3. Superego

Id

Instincts; Present from birth, + comprises of the basic instincts + drives of a human being, which are often irrational and impulsive and are firmly rooted in the unconscious

Ruled by the pleasure principles, the id seeks immediate gratification

3 Systems that Comprise Personality Structure

Ego

Executive mediating; Only part of personality directly in contact with reality → Functions as a means of mediating the impulses of the id and the inhibitions of the superego

Resides in the conscious mind and can be thought of as the logical mind - works to appease the id in a socially acceptable way

3 Systems that Comprise Personality Structure

Superego

Conscience - judge of the mind; Internalizes values and houses the moral code

3 Systems that Comprise Personality Structure

Superego in Young Kids

Superego has not totally formed

Superego in Older Kids + Teens

It is firmly at work judging and pushing against id impulses

Eros

Life instinct

Thanatos

Death Instinct; Defined as longing to return to a state of nonextence prior to birth

Relationship b/w Eros + Thanatos

Eros in opposition with Thanatos

Psychosexual Stages of Development Def

The predictable developmental stages that people go through that impacts later functioning

3 Levels of Consciousness List

1. Conscious

2. Preconscious

3. Unconscious

Conscious

Material in our minds that we are aware of; In immediate awareness

3 Levels of Consciousness List

Preconscious

Material in our minds that is readily accessible; Same as conscious but not immediately accessible

3 Levels of Consciousness List

Subconscious

Repressed memories, urges, + drives that are out of awareness + impact us most; Repressed, highly painful memories (dreams, symptoms)

3 Levels of Consciousness List

Freudian Slip

Misstatements believed to reveal unconscious wishes

Defense Mechanisms

Ways of thinking and behaving that protect us from anxiety and discomfort

Sublimination

A healthy defense mechanism that channels inappropriate urges into work and art

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Dev List

1. Oral Stage

2. Anal Stage

3. Phallic Stage

4. Latency Stage

5. Genital Stage

What are the critical years for personality dev according to Freud?

First 5 years

Oral Stage Time Period

Birth to 18 months

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Dev List

Oral Stage Def

Birth to 18 months; Pleasure is associated with the mouth (e.g., sucking, biting, breastfeeding)

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Dev List

Oral-Incorporative

Sucking and swallowing - receiving nurturance and survival

Oral-Aggressive

Biting and chewing; emerges with teething, early expression of aggression

Adult Fixation for Oral Stage

Gullibility, overeating, argumentative

Anal Stage Time Period

18 months to 3 years

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Dev List

Anal Stage Def

18 months to 3 years; Pleasure is associated with the anus (e.g., defecating) → Youth become better aware of their individuality and their ability to self-control

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Dev List

Anal-Retentive

Obsessively tidy, punctual, controlling, and stingy

Anal-Explusive

Overly Indulgent → Messy, disorganized, rebellious, creative

Phallic Stage Time Period

3 to 6 years

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Dev List

Phallic Stage Def

3 to 6 years; Pleasure is concentrated on the genitals (e.g., rubbing and/or masturbation) and the increased awareness of sex differences can create internal conflicts such as jealousy, rivalry, and/or fear (e.g., Oedipus complex or Electra complex

Has to do with need for love and approval, feelings toward

authority figures - Self-esteem, self-approval, sexuality

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Dev List

Oedipus Complex & Electra Complex

Unconscious sexual desire for opposite gender parent/rivalry with same gender parent

Castration Anxiety

Driver in boys that forces the repression of Oedipal desires + leads to identification w the father

Attachment Shift

Girls must shift their primary attachment from mom to dad whereas boys maintain primary attachment orientation towards women

Latency Stage Time Period

6 to puberty

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Dev List

Latency Stage Def

6 to puberty; The libido becomes dormant or even hidden during this time, and youth focus on acquisition of skills, hobbies/play, and new areas of knowledge

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Dev List

Empowerment in Latency Stage

Empowerment, competence, initiative

Difficulties in Latency Stage

Inadequacy and low self-esteem

Genital Stage Time Period

Puberty through Adulthood

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Dev List

Genital Stage Def

Puberty to Adulthood; This stage encompasses the process of sexual experimentation and successful establishment of a loving, monogamous relationship

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Dev List

Some Healthy, Adaptive Defense Mechanisms

• Affiliation

• Altruism

• Anticipation

• Humor

• Sublimation

• Conscious Suppression

Conscious Suppression

A deliberate, intentional effort to push unwanted thoughts, memories, or emotions out of your awareness

Some Healthy, Adaptive Defense Mechanisms

Conscious Regression

Unconsciously regulating disturbing material into the unconscious

Some Unhealthy, Maladaptive Defense Mechanisms

• Acting out

• Avoidance

• Denial

• Displacement

• Dissociation

• Idealization

• Identification

• Intellectualization

• Passive aggressive

• Projection

• Rationalization

• Reaction Formation

• Regression

• Repression

• Resistance

• Somatization

• Splitting

Displacement

Transferring feelings from original situation/person onto less threatening

Some Unhealthy, Maladaptive Defense Mechanisms

Dissociation

The brain disconnects from distressing thoughts, emotions, memories, or physical sensations to help a person cope with overwhelming stress or trauma (eg. daydreaming or extreme reactions)

Some Unhealthy, Maladaptive Defense Mechanisms

Idealization

A person attributes exaggeratedly positive qualities to themselves, another person, or a situation while ignoring flaws or imperfections

Some Unhealthy, Maladaptive Defense Mechanisms

Identification

An individual adopts the traits, behaviors, or characteristics of another person to reduce anxiety or build self-esteem

Some Unhealthy, Maladaptive Defense Mechanisms

Intellectualization

Uses excessive logic, reasoning, and abstract analysis to avoid confronting uncomfortable or distressing emotions

Some Unhealthy, Maladaptive Defense Mechanisms

Projection

A person attributes their own unacceptable or threatening thoughts, feelings, impulses, and traits onto someone else

Some Unhealthy, Maladaptive Defense Mechanisms

Rationalization

An unconscious psychological defense mechanism where a person creates logical, plausible, but false explanations to justify unacceptable behavior, difficult emotions, or failures

Some Unhealthy, Maladaptive Defense Mechanisms

Reaction Formation

An unconscious defense mechanism where a person replaces an unacceptable or anxiety-inducing impulse, feeling, or desire with its exact opposite

Some Unhealthy, Maladaptive Defense Mechanisms

Regression

An unconscious defense mechanism where a person under high stress, fear, or anxiety reverts to behaviors or emotional responses from an earlier, more secure developmental stage

Some Unhealthy, Maladaptive Defense Mechanisms

Somatization

The psychological and physiological process by which emotional or psychological distress is expressed as physical body symptoms

Some Unhealthy, Maladaptive Defense Mechanisms

Splitting

An unconscious psychological defense mechanism where a person divides people, situations, or ideas into extreme, black-and-white categories of entirely "good" or entirely "bad"

Some Unhealthy, Maladaptive Defense Mechanisms

Therapeutic Goals of Psychoanalysis

• Overall goal → find balance b/w superego + id

• Bring unconscious into conscious

• Improve overall functioning + reduce conflict by working through childhood experiences

• Create personality change rather than behav change

Overall Goal of Psychoanalysis

Achieve balance between superego + id

Working Through

Exploration of unconscious and defense mechanism – strengthens the ego

Therapeutic Goals of Psychoanalysis

Blank-screen Approach

Anonymous stance therapists take on to facilitate transference

Therapists with Psychoanalytic Therapy

• Encourage clients to openly share thoughts, feelings, experiences, + actively listening to find clues into unconscious

• Interventions like free association, questions, interpretations

• Help clients gain insight and behave in healthier ways to

  manage anxiety

• Dealing with resistance

Free Association

Technique where a person says whatever comes to mind without editing or censoring their thoughts; Used to recall feelings + repressed memories that can lead to catharsis

May create a chain of association

Psychoanalytic Techniques

Analysis

Exploring the unconscious

Psychoanalytic Techniques

Interpretation

Elucidating the meaning behind the unconscious

Psychoanalytic Techniques

Abreaction

Recalling a painful experience that had been repressed and working through that painful experience and the conflicts it created by reliving in memory the experience and its associated emotions → promotes catharsis + emotional/affectional change

Psychoanalytic Techniques

Dealing with Resistance

Working to reduce clients’ defenses that may impede progress

Psychoanalytic Techniques

Transference Def

Clients project onto the therapist the characteristics of another individual, usually a parent, and react to the therapist as though the therapist really does possess those characteristics

3 Stages:

1. Further established and explored to elicit repressed material

2. The original dysfunctional pattern re-emerges, now in terms of the transference to the therapist

3. The origins of the transference are understood and resolved, strengthening the ego which helps client relate in healthier ways

3 Stages of Transference

1. Further established and explored to elicit repressed material

2. The original dysfunctional pattern re-emerges, now in terms of the transference to the therapist

3. The origins of the transference are understood and resolved, strengthening the ego which helps client relate in healthier ways

Countertransference

The therapist’s feelings about the client; Should be avoided

Techniques of Psychoanalysis

Extensive and counselors should receive extra training and supervision

What is the most important rule of psychoanalysis?

Free Association

3 Patterns of Free Association

1. Discrepancies

2. Omissions

3. Excesses

Discrepancies

Observed disagreement b/w things that are said and/or done

3 Patterns of Free Association

Omissions

Things that were not said, done, or felt, but likely should have been said, done, or felt, given the situation

3 Patterns of Free Association

Excesses

Overreactions, overdramatic emotions, or extreme behavs related to benign events that do not justify such behav

3 Patterns of Free Association

What do techniques in psychoanalysis aim to do?

Increase insight; Exploration of repressed material to gain awareness abt connection b/w past experiences + present difficulties to promo pos change

Psychoanalysis

Process of exploring + understanding the unconscious representations in the material ppl present in counseling

Interpretation

Process of elucidating the unconscious meaning of the symbols in material that clients present and of linking those new insights to their present concerns and blocks → They link the behavs, thoughts, + feelings within a client’s awareness + the client’s unconscious (+ defenses, wishes, past experiences, dreams)

Can be used through direct observation, indirect, presentation, therapeutic relationship, + therapists POV

What do Interpretations help link?

Behav, thoughts, + feelings within a client’s awareness + unconscious to:

1. Defenses

2. Wishes

3. Past Experiences

4. Dreams

Dream Analysis

Process of exploring the manifest + latent content of dreams to discover clues into the unconscious; Manifest content + latent content

2 Types of Content in Dreams/Dream Analysis

1. Manifest Content

2. Latent Content

Manifest Content

Actual content of the dream

2 Types of Content in Dreams/Dream Analysis

Latent Content

Underlying meanings + patterns of dream

2 Types of Content in Dreams/Dream Analysis

Who does Anna Freud recommend dream analysis for?

Younger ppl

Resistance

Blocking of counseling progress and involves clients ceasing to discuss, address, think about, or accept an interpretation from a therapist; Defense mechanism to disrupt therapeutic process

Ex. avoiding discussion of painful events, wasting times within sessions, not attending session on time, being unprepped for session

How should therapists handle resistance?

Should be attune to resistance + see it as learning opportunity

• Be respectful

• Slow down counseling pace

• Ask for more detail about experience

• Use immediacy to explore resistance

Who benefits from psychoanalysis?

Most beneficial for ppl with minor + moderate psychopathology + some success/satisfaction in life rather than those with severe psychopathology

Ppl with neuroses (thought, mood, behav disorders) more likely to benefit than ppl with psychoses (loss with reality)

Neuroses

Thought, mood, behav disorders; More likely to benefit from psychoanalysis; Characterized by intact reality testing; clients with neuroses possess sufficient ego strength and self-examination capacity to benefit from classic psychoanalysis

Psychoses

Loss of touch with reality; Less likely to benefit from psychoanalysis; Characterized by a loss of contact with reality (delusions/hallucinations); clients with psychoses cannot engage in the required self-reflection and are not suitable candidates for classic psychoanalysis

Why does Psychoanalysis have limited application?

Due to extensive resources, but some schools flourish

Is there empirical support for traditional psychoanalysis?

Little, but effectiveness for psychodynamic approaches

Psychoanalysis + Culture

More western/eurocentric approach, so may not be approp to use with collectivist or other diverse cultures

Psychoanalysis Pros

• First talk therapy

• Childhood experiences, parental figures, dreams are important + impact us

• Introduced a developmental pov of psychopathology

Psychoanalysis Cons

• Time consuming + expensive

• Harmful ideas about women

• Lack of empirical research + not much support for effectiveness

A way to help clients make their own interpretations?

Using questioning + answering