Psychodynamic Approach Essay

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.

Dr Sigmud Freud (1856-1939), is the founder of the psychodynamic approach. Dr Sigmud Freud believed that childhood experiences and unconscious thoughts had an effect on people’s behaviour.

The history of Psychodynamic psychology originated with Sigmund Freud in the late 19th century. Freud proposed a psychodynamic theory to which personality consists of the id. The Id is present at birth and it resides in the world of unconsciousness. Freud also said that the unconscious is also a place where human instinctual biological drives reside. The drives direct our behaviour towards choices that promise to satisfy our basic human needs. The drives ensure our survival like drinking water and eating food, the desire for reproduction and the necessity for aggression.

The psychodynamic approach was proposed by Freud. This approach towards personality is based on the notion of underlying forces such as the id, ego and superego which are either present from birth or develop during childhood shape our behaviour and personality as such. Experiences in childhood are proposed to be the basis of human personality, according to Freud and as such Psychodynamic theory proposes that some undesirable unbalances between the id and superego can create the arising of ego defence mechanisms which explain individual differences in behaviour. Freudian theory has been adapted by neo-Freudians, however while psychodynamic

To begin, the psychodynamic theory is based on Freud’s psychoanalytic theory and primarily focuses on the role of the unconscious mind in the development of personality. The psychodynamic theory includes the idea that people have defense mechanisms. Psychological defense mechanisms are ways of dealing with anxiety through unconsciously distorting one’s perception of reality, such as denial and repression. In addition, sexual impulses play a large role in the psychodynamic theory. According to Freud, part of personality is outside of awareness, unconscious. The unconscious has difficulty retrieving material and is well below the surface of awareness. Also, the past is important in the psychodynamic theory. There are some advantages and disadvantages to this theory. For instance, the advantages are: psychodynamic theory recognizes the importance of childhood; other theorists after Freud have revised the approach to be less controversial, and this theory has been

Sigmund Freud, a well-known psychologist portrays an interest in the Psychodynamic approach to Psychology. Freud developed a theory relating to personality in the aftermath of his observation of patients experiencing a disorder called conversion hysteria. He took particular interest in the unconscious

The psychodynamic approach founded by Sigmund Freud was a lot of our behavior, is determined by unconscious thoughts, memories. Freud developed the first complete theory of mind and is the founder of a series of techniques called psychoanalysis. This aims to explore the unconscious mind by using techniques, such as free association, dream interpretation etc. and then and be used treat abnormal behavior. Psychodynamic psychology ignores the aspects of science and instead focuses on trying to get inside the head of individuals to make logic of their relationships, experiences and how they see the world. (McLeod, 2007). Freud’s theories

The psychodynamic approach to psychology is the study of human behaviour from the point of view of motivation and drives. The original beliefs of this approach were created by Sigmund Freud in the 1800s. Although it is now generally seen negatively in the common view, sometimes comically, it has provided the inspiration for a few of the current leading approaches to psychology.

The contemporary psychodynamic theory focuses on the unconscious drives and forces within human functioning. The original psychodynamic theory was considered to be psychoanalysis which was created by Freud. However, now psychodynamic theory embodies ideas not only from Freud, but from many of his followers as well. Some of the assumptions that are made by the psychodynamic approach include that all behavior has a cause whether it is conscious or unconscious; adult behavior is rooted in childhood experiences; and that people are strongly shaped by unconscious motives. These assumptions are addressed in a therapeutic setting by utilizing dream analysis, free association, projective tests, and even hypnosis. The primary focus in the therapeutic process is helping the client to become more aware of the self as well as helping them to understand how their past experiences have influenced their existing behavior. The psychodynamic theory assumes that the personality is made up of three

In this section, I will report the results of my survey, compare, and contrast them to my own initial theory leanings. A screen shot of the results is in Figure 1. My psychodynamic score is 68% with sub-scores of 83% Psychoanalysis, 63% Analytical and 58% Individual Psychology. My Cognitive-Behavior Score is 87% with sub-scores of 93% Behavioral, 96% REBT, 100% Congnitive-Behavioral and 61% Reality therapy. My Existential Humanist Score is 77% with sub-scores of 65% Existential, 85% Person-Centered and 83% Gestalt. My PostModern Score is 61% with sub-scores of 71% Narrative and 51% Solution-Focused.

Sigmund Freud is known as the father of psychoanalysis, along with a psychologist, physiologist, and medical doctor. Freud worked with Joseph Breuer to develop the theory of how the mind is a complex energy system.Throughout Freud’s life he

The conscious and unconscious mind are two ideas that compliment and contradict each other. Can a person’s action be evaluated as conscious or unconscious? How can you tell a conscious mind apart from an unconscious mind? I believe it is safe to say that the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, addresses this question and opens up discussion to critiques with respect to the topic. In the article, “Hamlet: Poem Unlimited”, author Harold Bloom gives an analysis with respect to the New Criticism approach on whether certain characters and events were due to the conscious or unconscious mind. Bloom mentions five major aspects to the play; Hamlet, Horatio, plays within plays, two soliloquies, and Ophelia. He gives examples of Hamlets behavior and Ophelia’s nature to coincide with the conscious and unconscious mind (Bloom 3-11, 37-44). Bloom also points out how connected the audience is to Hamlet through Horatio and how Horatio was the only person Hamlet ever really cared about (13-18). The idea of plays within a play shows how Shakespeare is still in control even though Hamlet has so much freedom and characteristics (19-27). He also mentions the two soliloquies to show how conscious Hamlet is of his actions (29-36). In this paper, Blooms interpretation of the conscious and unconscious mind with respect to the play will be analyzed with my personal views on the topic always keeping in mind of the original text of the play Hamlet. Although Bloom interprets almost every action

The second perspective is the psychodynamic perspective. The psychodynamic perspective emphasizes how the role of early childhood experiences, the unconscious mind and interpersonal relationships play a part in abnormal behavior. This perspective evolved from Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytical theory which generally contended that psychological disorders are the outcome of anxiety which is produced by unresolved, unconscious conflicts.

The psychodynamic perspective to psychology is based on Feud’s theory of psycho-analysis, which assumes that our mental processes and behavior reflect the constant psychodynamic conflicts, which rage within us (Bernstein, 2011, p. 15). This approach comprises of all the concepts in psychology, which consider human functioning based on the interaction of forces and drives within

The psychodynamic theory originated from Sigmund Freud, a medical doctor and philosopher (1856 - 1939) founded in the 1900s. Freud developed his ideas whilst working as a psychiatrist in Vienna, collecting information from his patients such as feelings, thoughts and early childhood experiences.