The Psychoanalytic Theory, Concepts of Clinical & Counseling Psychology
The Psychoanalytic Theory
All theories used in trying to understand the human mind and human behavior in the process of counselling fall short in some way or another. They are more of blue prints that guide in understanding the world and only aim at hypothesizing outcomes. In that case, they are bound to have limitations, openness to biases and distortions as they change consistently with new discoveries. Modern day counselling adopts a more realistic and contemporary approach that accommodates the use of theories only to the extent that their application must be put through a lens, in order to eliminate the chances of treating each patient with a preconceived notion. There is plenty to consider with each patient that walks in; reality, their truth, cultural and traditional beliefs as well as how social norms have affected their perception of the world (Kottler & Shepard, 2014, p. 114).
Sigmund Freud came up with the psychoanalytic theory, postulating that when human behavior is as a result of unconscious wishes it becomes self-defeating; thus, change can only be registered after one becomes aware of their intuitive impulses and unconscious wishes. That way, they can then handle such wishes in a mature, rational, and reflective fashion. Counselors who choose to rely on the psychoanalytic theory in their sessions attribute the mental health of their patients to; the analysis of past relationships particularly those that expose traumatic childhood experiences, defense mechanisms and the therapeutic nature of discussing childhood memories (Kottler & Shepard, 2014, p. 126). From this, the imagery that comes to mind only suggests counselling that incorporate hypnosis and a “divan” or Turkish couch for patients to lie down as they go through a mind-reading session.
Despite there being plenty of new approaches that discredit some of Freud’s assertions with regard to personality development and human behavior, in the course of the 20th Century his theory was cited more times than Charles Darwin ever had. Theories on using therapeutic approaches that attempt to treat mental disorders through the unconscious mind put Sigmund on the map of psychoanalytical counsellors. It is apparent that the existence of different approaches to therapy, as well as having constant change in scientific discoveries has triggered a couple of criticisms to the psychoanalytic theory, but just recently, however, reviews of neuroscientific works have confirmed that most of Sigmund’s original observations can be confirmed through laboratory studies (Fonagy, 2003, p. 73).
The impact of psychoanalysis cannot be fully appreciated solely from clinical materials, which is why present day counselling mainly focuses on empirically validated treatments; but the fact that emotional responses are often triggered through repetition of patterns that cause emotional arousal and are linked to the interpretive process explains and fortifies the argument that emotional responses are elicited as a result of intuitive impulses. Though they are just in the developmental stage, recent groups of study have come up with a rationale that intensive psychoanalytic treatment might in the long run, profoundly affect biological and psychological vulnerability (Fonagy, 2003, p. 75). At this rate, future psychoanalytic discoveries are in the offing, and in fact, they are likely to evoke more collaborative facts about the mind in conjunction with biological science.
The psychoanalytically oriented therapy, therefore mainly helps counsellors to understand the personality of their patient as they clinically treat their psychopathology issues. This is a more flexible approach that applies Freud’s theory but through a lens, allowing counsellors to make use of developments that have come over time and the evolution of perceptions with modernity, cultural beliefs and the preferences of the therapist (Kottler & Shepard, 2014, p. 126). From Freud Sigmund’s analysis, the complex nature of the human mind gives it the ability to perceive the present, to remember memories, thoughts, and to recognize feelings. The interplay between all these attributes of human psychology brings out emotional behavior. In this case, the unconscious mind plays the role of repository for the unintentional desires and wishes of the mind (Solms, 2018, p. 20). These are later seen in a person’s behavior, through the defense mechanisms they use to protect themselves from information stored in the unconscious part of their mind. The psychoanalytical theory takes on the broadest approaches in counselling, but over time practitioners have identified some of the basic concepts that are essential in modern day practice.
Relevant Theories in Modern-Day Counselling
Layers of Awareness
Freud suggested that the human mind harbors the unconscious, preconscious and conscious layers of awareness. The conscious holds thoughts, feelings and memories that are accessible, the preconscious holds those that can be remembered or retrieved with ease, but the unconscious mind holds hidden memories and secret thoughts. One important part of the psychoanalytic treatment through which therapists are able to peel off the unconscious layer is by interpreting dreams. Human desires, the drive or instincts to react to something, memories, and emotions attributed to trauma remain hidden in the unconscious part of the mind and mostly come out while we are dreaming. In the same light, hallucinations and delusions are considered the repressed and unconscious conflicts that are uncovered through action (Sibi, 2020). Dreams, hallucinations and delusions are more of an outlet for the unconscious desires of the mind.
Stages of Personal Development
Human development is gradual and takes the form of a psychosexual series through the course of childhood and into maturity. This is among the controversial theories in psychoanalytical therapy for it gives a lot of reverence to self-indulgence and pleasure-seeking as a drive to the development of behavior. A healthy personality is fully attributed to the way an individual resolves their desires during the oral, anal, phallic, latent, and genital psychosexual stages of development. According to Freud, fixations occur if issues that arise during the navigation of these stages are not resolves (Kendra, 2020). For instance, as a child grows, they are faced with a conflict between biological drives, such as the urge to over-eat and the social expectation to only eat enough. Being able to navigate these two issues brings a child to their maturity (“Psychodynamic perspectives on personality | Boundless psychology,” n.d.).
Structure of the Psyche
Developing personality out of internal psychological conflict makes a lot of sense. This comes about as a result of the interaction between one’s id which holds the unconscious desires, the ego which is deals with reality and controls the drives of the id, and the superego which holds the ideals of society that define morals. The unconscious conflict between these three parts of the mind shapes a person’s personality, which is what determines how one responds to a situation (Kottler & Shepard, 2014, p. 128). For that reason, a therapist cannot eliminate the probability of mental problems stemming from anxiety which is often a negative interaction between the id, ego and superego.
Defense Mechanisms
In interaction between the id, ego and superego, the ego certainly has the toughest task, that of bringing in reality to regulate the unrealistic desires of the id in order to be in conformity with society expectations. From that, psychoanalysis suggests that the ego uses defense mechanisms to protect the conscious part of the mind from the id’s negative and upsetting desires, which would cause shame, anxiety and feelings of guilty to an individual. Critically analyzing defense mechanism as a personality shaper, exposes its biggest weakness, that of preventing an individual from living truthfully and expressing their true feelings (Sibi, 2020). For instance, if as a child one was reprimanded for expressing anger and disappointment, the mind represses such feelings and blocks them from getting to the conscious.
There are a myriad of psychoanalytical methods in counselling that therapists make use of, but mostly in a hybrid approach that accommodates other techniques that the practitioner finds effective. A fundamental aspect of Freud’s psychoanalysis theory that makes an indelible mark in counselling is the fact that mental illness is treatable through talking issues out as a therapeutic relief to a person’s problems. Some may look at this as being time consuming and uneconomical, but it has helped alleviate mental issues such as depression and anxiety disorders that require a therapist to explore a patient’s suppressed issues over a period of time.
Getting to understand and interpret a person’s behavior and reaction requires therapists to engage patients for a solid amount of time. It is during this period, that a therapist gets to analyze the different aspects of their patients’ lives. Freud may have come up with arguments that many be considered outrageous in present day, but once we look at the bigger picture, we realize that in his attempt to decipher the working of the human mind, he made a lot of sense, which is why his theories hold water to date. With constant evolution in beliefs and social expectations, counselling cannot remain static. It is for that reason that the revision of therapeutic techniques is consistent.
