Running Head: Compare and Contrast Paper
Compare and Contrast: Psychoanalytic and Person-Centered Therapies
Leslie A. White
Central Missouri State University
` The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the differences and similarities associated with Carl Roger’s Client-centered theory and Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic theory. The focus of the comparisons will fall into the three main topic areas: that of optimal personality development, that of the nature of problem formation, and that of the process of learning and change. The two theorists differ in approach in that Psychoanalytic theory is basically deterministic while Person-Centered therapy is rooted in humanistic and existential philosophies.
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The superego operates as a moral center and strives for perfection. (Corey, 1996). Person-centered therapy is similar in that it identifies a specific personality structure, the OVS. When behavior is congruent and in harmony with the OVS, there is a movement towards self-actualization and the enhancement of being. When humans consciously or unconsciously behave in a way that goes against the OVS, behavior is a detriment to the being and hinders the self-actualization process. The personality structures differ in that Freud identifies three distinct personality structures that divide psychic energy. Freud proposed that the division of psychic energy between the personality structures was a result of the level of frustration or satiation of the id. The progression plays a role in socialization as the person moves through the psychosexual stages. Rogerian theory differs in the major personality structure is the OVS. When humans consciously or unconsciously behave in a way that goes against the OVS, behavior is a detriment to the being and hinders the self-actualization process. The process differs in that the individual discordance with the OVS is a lack of trust toward the inner valuing system, as opposed to a lack of balance between satiation of the id personality structure.
The personality structures are similar in that the client must work toward some sense of conscious awareness in order to elicit change in behavior. According to Rogers,
Everybody is unique or special in one form or another and each personality has a theory. For many years psychologists have based theories upon individuals and I the writer will compare and contrast three well known psychologists Sigmund Freud, Alfred Alder, and Carl Jung. Sigmund Freud was one of the greatest psychologists in time he Alder and Jung’s theories were very similar but then again very different. Within these theories we will discuss characteristics with which I agree and disagree with, explore the stages of Freud’s theory explaining characteristics of personality using stage components
Person-centered therapy views people from a positive perspective. While therapists may not always agree with the choices that a person makes, they always try to accept a person for who they are. The belief is that people can change and become self-actualized. Person-centered therapy focuses on the belief that people’s personalities are influenced by internal and external factors. These experiences will be different for everyone, because we are all exposed to different social and
This assignment is an attempt to discuss two different types of therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and person centered therapy and highlight some important similarities and differences between them.
The Gestalt approach to therapy emerged during the 1950’s and was developed by Frederick Perls (1893-1970). The aim of Gestalt therapy is to increase awareness, so that the client comes to resolution of unfinished business and the integration of the thinking, feeling and sensing processes. In Gestalt therapy the emphasis is placed on the present experience, the perception of the individual as a whole and the direct awareness of emotions and action. Gestalt therapists believe that the emotional problems and frustrations that are experienced by individuals are attributed to the lack of recognition and understanding of their own feelings. In addition to this Gestaltist believe that many individuals lose
Following the publication of Freud’s ‘Papers on Technique’ between 1912 and 1917, there have been papers and symposia on the subject. Four symposia in 1937, 1948, 1958, and 1961 were devoted to the examination of therapeutic results of psychoanalysis, the mechanisms behind its curative factors, variations in technique and the ego-psychological approach to interpretations (Rosenfeld, 1972, 454). In 1934, James Strachey published his paper on “The Nature of the Therapeutic Action of Psychoanalysis,” which has since been considered one of the most seminal works on the subject. He holds that his paper is “not a practical discussion upon psychoanalytic technique,” and that “it’s immediate bearings are theoretical” (Strachey, 1934, 127). However, as Herbert Rosenfeld points out in his 1972 critical appreciation of Strachey’s paper, “this is clearly an understatement; the paper both challenges one’s clinical experience and has important clinical implications even though actual case material is not quoted” (Rosenfeld, 1972, 454). It would not be difficult to summarize Strachey’s main points regarding therapeutic action and mutative interpretation, and it would prove similarly sterile to simply compare his ideas with the views of other psychoanalysts, contemporaneous and contemporary. Instead, as Strachey concerns himself primarily with the structural nature of mutative change, this paper will aim to delineate a more in-depth exploration of the way different structures of the
Personality and how we behave have been of much interest to psychologists for a long time now and because of this there have been many theories and theorists that have been developed. Personality is defined as consistent behavior patterns and intrapersonal processes originating within and individual (Fritzley, 2012, p. 10). There are six main approaches to personality psychology they include: biological approach, humanistic approach, behaviorist approach, trait approach, psychoanalytic approach and cognitive approach. Each approach shines a little light onto why we behave the way we do and how our personalities are formed, the approaches contain many different theories from
For my comparison, I’ll be looking at the theories of Sigmund Freud and Viktor Frankl, the creators of both the first and third Viennese Schools of Psychotherapy, respectively. To begin with, I’ll examine Frankl’s theory of existential analysis known as logotherapy. Logotherapy states that we as human beings are conscious creatures, responsible for our choices and decisions in life. Frankl proposed a dualistic view of human nature, which claimed that the unconscious is home to both sides of humanity, with instinctual,
Among these therapeutic approaches are the psychodynamic approach and the existential approach. An example of existential approach psychotherapy is the person-centred therapy that was introduced by Carl Rogers in the 1940s. Person-centred therapy (PCT) focuses on the quality of the person-to-person therapeutic relationship; it places faith and gives responsibility to the client in dealing with problems and concerns (Corey, 2009, p. 30). On the other hand, for the psychodynamic approach, Sigmund Freud, the core founder of this approach developed psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis is a therapy aimed to treat mental disorder. It is a set of techniques for treating the unconscious causes of mental disorders; as well as to explain the underlying factors of how human personality and abnormality develop from childhood (Corey, 2009, p. 30). This paper examines the similarities and differences between psychoanalytic therapy and
Person Centered Therapy was developed by Carl Rogers in the 1940’s and 1950’s. It remains a relevant technique practiced today. This article researched the relevance of Person Centered Therapy since Carl Rogers’s death in the late 1987. The article determined the relevance of this by using three measures. First, how often Person Centered Therapy was included in organizations, journals, and institutes dedicated to this approach. Secondly, it researched how often Person Centered Therapy was included in new research since Rogers’s death. Finally, any current research that has validated Roger’s core conditions (Kirschenbaum & Jourdan,
Another comparison can be made between the two approaches when looking at the role of the therapist and collaboration with the client. The person centred approach specifically sees the client as the expert of their own experiences, emotions and history.
Freud developed the psychoanalytic theory of personality development, which argued that personality is formed through internal conflicts among three fundamental structures of the human mind: the id, ego, and superego. According to this model of the psyche, the id is the set of uncoordinated trends; the super-ego plays the critical and moralizing role; and the ego is the organized, realistic part that mediates between the desires of the id and the super-ego (Wikipedia, 2017).
Person centred therapists believe that people are driven by two distinct needs. The first is self-actualisation (the ability to be the best we can be), the second is the need to be loved and valued.
Person-Centered therapy applied in a therapeutic relationship by the therapist being empathetic and allowing the clients to move in their own time on finding their own self-actualization. This allows the client to gain and learn their own independence and integration in the world that they live in. The therapist not leading the client into any direction but being empathic to what they are going through to help the client’s growth process does this. It is not about the therapist having the client do anything or the therapists do anything but to be open and have a good attitude towards the client (Corey, 2013).
In person-centered therapy, the client is normally disturbed or affected by the past events. An individual who had the ability to do or perform great things is eventually demoralized, and he or
One notable limitation is that many studies which address the efficacy of this therapy possess small sample sizes, which limits the generalizability of the results. Thus, the empirical effectiveness of this therapy may not yet be fully established (Bratton, et al., 2009). However, in spite of this shortcoming, person centered therapy offers the opportunity to investigate the utility of additional interventions in a therapeutic setting since this therapy provides a flexible framework for the incorporation of a variety of different strategies (Thompson, Macy, & Fraser, 2011). In addition, since this therapy emphasizes the acceptance of individual differences, it is well-suited for use with a diverse group of