When emotional disturbance occurs, a sense of discomfort is evident and the client seeks for help. The therapist’s purpose is to help the client reach emotional balance. Through PD theory several techniques are used to uncover emotional disturbance. Therapists in this technique rely heavily in interpretation, and tend to maintain an “blank-screen” approach towards their clients. This means that therapists try to not show too much of their personality or reactions when the therapy takes place, which is generally once or twice per week. Several techniques are used to allow the exploration of the client’s unconscious such as: dream analysis, free association, resistance, and characteristics of the therapeutic relationship. For example, the free association technique lets the client express freely what an specific word means to them. These types of approaches let the client dive into their unconscious material, they explore what associations they make “automatically” and when an emotional turning point has been reached they experience a “catharsis.” This feeling means that the client has reached a better understanding of their unconscious behavior, much like a revelation. Furthermore, in this Psychodynamic theory, the relationship between the client and therapist is highly important. The therapeutic relationship is evaluated by transference and countertransference of feelings or desires, which are buried in the clients/therapists unconscious. This is the reason why they
In the counseling world today understanding psychodynamic approaches is more crucial than ever in the assessment and treatment of any psychological issue. Psychodynamic approaches such as Individual therapy, analytical therapy and psychoanalysis are similar in many ways but also differ based on the individuals own perception and circumstances. I will discuss the similarities as well difference’s and why these forms of therapy are critical in the assessment and treatment of clients.
To strengthen /integrate his Adult ego state and developed his Free Child. In this case I used TA theory (Berne, E. 1961) in order to analyse and understand the client’s needs and to help understand his depression anxiety and low mood through creativity methods (Gestalt theory; creativity, see Zinker. J.1977). The objective of session 16 and 17 is to gain a better understanding of the clients situation, to raise his self awareness and also to get a better understanding of his internal/external worlds.
Psychoanalysis is a therapy of psychological theory that aims to treat mental illnesses based on the concepts of Sigmund Freud, who emphasized the importance of free association and dream analysis. The model of psychoanalysis aim is to release repressed emotion and experiences, by making unconscious thoughts, conscious. The fundamental principles of psychoanalysis are practiced by putting an emphasis on the patient to gain insight into the origins of their respective problems like a patient presenting symptoms of anxiety would be encouraged by a licensed professional to explore their past, in hopes of discovering problems that manifested the anxiety. The anxiety created may be a defense mechanism directed towards displacement in their world.
Transference is often manifested as an erotic attraction towards a therapist, but can be seen in many other forms such as rage, hatred, mistrust, prettification, extreme dependence, or even placing the therapist in a god-like or guru status. When Freud initially encountered transference in his therapy with clients, he felt it was an obstacle to treatment success. But what he learned was that the analysis of the transference was actually the work that needed to be done. The focus in psychodynamic psychotherapy is, in large part, the therapist and client recognizing the transference relationship and exploring what the meaning of the relationship is. Because the transference between patient and therapist happens on an unconscious level, psychodynamic therapists who are largely concerned with a patient's unconscious material use the transference to reveal unresolved conflicts patients have with figures from their childhoods. Countertransference is defined as redirection of a therapist's feelings toward a client, or more generally as a therapist's emotional entanglement with a client. A therapist's atonement to his own countertransference is nearly as critical as his understanding of the transference. Not only does this help the therapist regulate his or her own emotions in the therapeutic relationship, but it also gives the therapist valuable insight into
The main focus of this essay has to be on the three ‘core conditions’, as utilised by the counsellor to promote a positive movement in their client’s psychology. They are intended for maintaining a focus on the client’s personal growth, and detract from the therapist’s own outside world. The three core conditions are the professional apparatus or tool-kit of the therapist, and the use of each is a skill in itself but the combined forces of all three in an effective manner requires an abundance of skill or experience. These are, as have already been mentioned, congruence, unconditional positive regard and empathy. They are separate skills but are intrinsically linked to each other. If used correctly, they can guide the client to a state of self-realisation, which could lead to the development of a healing process.
Psychodynamic therapists find that free association is helpful in treating their clients because it allows them to say whatever comes to mind. The client is encouraged to talk about anything and everything seeing as it may help them accept any kind of limitations or discord they may have. This process of treatment would not be the best route for Antwone’s therapist to take. Antwone struggles in creating conversation out of nothing and when it comes to talking about his issues, that process is no different.
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
Therapists basically explore avoidances, thoughts, feelings, relationships and life experiences. A patient sometimes may be aware of his condition but not be able to escape or explain it. Through the analysis of a patient’s early experiences of attachment figures and how they have affect him, he will be able to free himself from the bonds of past. To accomplish that, the psychodynamic therapy, focuses on interpersonal relations, on the affect and expression of emotions helping the patients through discussion to describe feelings which are troubling them and they do not recognise. Patients usually attempt to avoid distressing thoughts and feelings. At some cases, they present avoidance, defence and resistance by missing sessions or change the topic when certain ides arise. They also view the therapist with suspicion because they may have feelings of disapproval, rejection or even abandonment. This kind of therapy based on research has shown that leads to on-going change, even after it has ended.(Jonathan Shedler, American Psychologists;University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine; February–March 2010)
The therapist would use techniques such as free association and dream analysis. Free association is when the therapist attempts to unearth thoughts from Ellen’s unconscious in order to lend insight into her distress. Overall, the therapist would use techniques to interpret Ellen’s dreams and memories in order to reduce Ellen’s anxiety.
When comparing and contrasting the differences in the three approaches, I will review the relationship between client and counsellor. I will attempt to discover how the relationship is formed and how it is maintained during the therapeutic process. Once this has been established, I will then look at how the changes occur in the therapeutic relationship and which techniques will be used. I will compare and contrast the approaches of Carl Rogers, Sigmund Freud and Albert Ellis. I will look at how their theories have impacted on the counselling processes in modern times and throughout history.
Psychology explores human behavior and the human mental process figuring ways to improve the thinking and attitude of an individual’s existence. Sometimes, different techniques are used and tried to properly resolve the problem within the multitude of possible behavioral issues. Moreover, Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist, developed many theories, psychodynamic therapy, for clinically treating people with mental health problems through their unconscious mind; Then, Sigmund Freud’s theories or therapy, rather, diverged into other types of therapies such as Biological Psychology or Cognitive Psychology. No doubt, there are various perspectives, both strong and weak, in the field of Psychology using different techniques on different
Understanding the counseling session from the client’s perspective is a very important aspect in the development of a therapeutic relationship. A clinician must be an excellent listener, while being to pay attention to the client’s body language, affect and tone. The dynamics in the counseling session that is beneficial to the client include the recognition of the pain that the client is feeling. The detrimental part of this includes a misunderstanding of the real issues, a lack of consideration of the cultural aspects of the client, and a lack of clinical experience or listening skills. In this presentation, we will discuss the positive and negative aspects of the counseling session from the client’s perspective which
There are many variables that influence the success of therapy for the client, none more so than the therapeutic relationship. The therapeutic relationship is defined as the strength and collaborative relationship between the client and therapist that emphasises mutually agreed goals and tasks within the context of a strong affective bond (Horvath, 1994.) In the therapeutic relationship, the clinician offers care, touch, compassion, presence, and any other act or attitude that would foster healing, and expects nothing in return (Trout, 2013.) Some clinicians believe that the “therapeutic relationship is a precondition of change, others as the fertile soil that permits change, while others see it as the central mechanism of change itself” (Norcross, 2010.) This is not to devalue other variables that impact the success of the therapy such as client involvement and the treatment method.
In classical psychoanalysis they uses free association method. The primary goal is to make unconscious material conscious and to promote understanding. Therefore, clients are allow to say anything which they would like to express no matter how illogical the problems could be. From here on, the therapist’s duty is to listen to the feeling that has been expressed by them. (Corey, 2001) However in contemporary psychoanalysis, therapists simply do not instruct clients to talk at length about their problems, instead of that they had to figure out clearly what does the clients experiencing and discovered in the moment due to time. Joffe, H., & Elsey, J. W. B. (2014). Free Association in Psychology and the Grid Elaboration Method. US: Educational Publishing Foundation, 18(3), 173-175. Another comparison of it is that the classical “lying on the couch”, it took about 5 times per week while as for contemporary, they will get involved in dream analysis. Contemporary psychoanalysis has challenged many of the fundamental assumptions about traditional psychoanalytic theory and treatment. Perhaps
Techniques used by Psychodynamic therapists consist of; dream therapy (making sense of dreams and interpretation into reasons behind them), hypnosis and free association.