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Psychoanalytic, Jungian, and Individual Psychology Theories Essay

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Psychoanalytic, Jungian, and Individual Psychology Theories
When the word classical is used, images of things developed long ago with their traditional styles and ideas come to mind. They are perceived today as outdated and not as effective. Classical models of psychotherapy although deemed outdated, still have relevance in today’s practice of understanding human behavior. Psychotherapy is a science and art that was established back in the 1800’s with its own style and ideas. Classical models of psychoanalytic theory include psychoanalytic theory, neoanalytic theory, and individual psychology. The psychoanalytic theory founded by Sigmund Freud is the study of human psychological functioning and behavior. The personality theory …show more content…

Freud is credited for developing the structural model in which he describes the three parts of the psyche as the id, ego, and super-ego. The id is the unconscious personality structure that contains the basic drives of individuals (self-gratification). The ego is the organized and realistic part of the personality. The super-ego acts as the conscience that maintains the sense of morality.
Adler never accepted Freud’s theory of infantile sexual trauma. According to Freud, human behavior is produced by conflicts between genetically built-in drives, the instincts of self preservation, sex, and destruction. He felt that the dominant force in human behavior is the sexual instinct, which is innate. He furthers asserts that the unconscious is the most powerful source of behavior (Murdock, 2009).
Jung’s beliefs were that there are common elements of human experiences called archetypes. The archetypes are self, the regulating center of the psyche; shadow, opposite of the ego; anima/animus, male and female principles that represent the true self; and persona, how we present to the world (Changing Minds.Org, 2011). He called the psychological make-up of a person the psyche and believed that specific characterizations change over time and across cultures. Jungian therapy stresses the patient's study and acceptance of the archetypes within himself. Only when the first three archetypes are fully integrated can the self begin to be explored and

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