Psychoanalytic Theory -Outline

Psychoanalytic Theory

1: Freud

• Human nature is determined by irrational, unconscious, and instinctive forces which evolve through psychosexual stages during the first six years.

• Oral (1^st year): Learn to trust and accept love.
• Anal (1-3): Learn independence and expressing negative emotions.
• Phallic (3-6): Desires for the opposite parent.
• Latency (6-12): normal socialization
• Genital (12-18): move to adulthood.

• The personality is made of three components.
• Id: pleasure principle, no organization, desires to reduce tension.
• Ego: reality principle. Formulates logical plans for satisfying needs. Keeps the id under control. Distinguishes between reality and mental images.
• Superego: judicial, including one’s moral code. Seeks perfection.

• Consciousness is the tip of awareness. Unconsciousness is the root of neurosis; uncovering buried meanings is the cure.

• Ego-defense mechanisms help cope with anxiety and protect the ego. These are: repression, denial, reaction formation (expressing the opposite of a negative impulse), projection, displacement, sublimation (diverting energies to creative), regression, introjection, etc.

2: Erikson (Psychosocial)

• Stages include entire life span, with growth occurring due to crisis.
• Infancy: Trust / Mistrust (1^st year)
• Early Childhood: Autonomy / Shame and doubt (1-3)
• Preschool: Initiative / guilt (3-6)
• School: Industry / inferiority (6-12)
• Adolescence: Identity / role confusion (12-18)
• Young Adult: Intimacy / isolation (18-35)
• Middle Age: Generativity / stagnation (35-60)
• Later Life: Integrity / despair (60+)

3: Jung: collective unconsciousness of a species, seen in dreams. Can be "tapped."

4: In therapy

• Limited therapist self disclosure to foster transference and a "working through."
• Free association, interpretation and dream analysis.

Filed under: EDC 543 Theories and Techniques of Counseling
Copyright: May, 2002 - David Profitt