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Block 1 Psychological Interventions: Major Modalities

Unit 1 Psychoanalysis/ Psychodynamic Counseling

1. When or under what circumstances would you encourage a friend to seek counselling?

You might encourage a friend to seek counselling in the following circumstances:

• When they need reliable information and an interested person to listen to their difficulties and offer suggestions regarding a plan of action.
• When the counsellor has access to resources to help solve a problem.
• When the individual is unaware of a problem but needs to be made aware of it for their own development.
• When they are aware of a problem and the strain it is causing but can’t define, understand or cope with it independently.
• When a person is experiencing a crisis, stress, conflict, pressure, frustration, or any type of adjustment problems.
• When they are experiencing symptoms of a mental health problem.
• When they are having trouble with interpersonal relationships.
• When a person needs help with decision making, or they need help finding a direction.

2. What are the basic elements of Psychoanalysis?

The basic elements of psychoanalysis, according to the sources, include:

• The assumption that everyone has an unconscious mind (sometimes called the subconscious).
• The idea that feelings held in the unconscious mind are often too painful to be faced, leading to the development of defence mechanisms such as denial.
• The focus on past experiences, especially unresolved conflicts from early life, which shape current behaviour.
• The use of techniques such as free association, dream analysis, and interpretation to uncover repressed memories and conflicts.
• Transference, where the client repeats past conflicts with significant others, displacing feelings onto the therapist.
• An emphasis on the analysis of defence mechanisms used by the ego to ward off anxiety.
• The theory of object relations, which proposes that early relationships leave lasting traces that affect self-esteem and may result in maladaptive behaviour.
• The idea that human development is based on inborn drives and that the mind is divided into the id, ego and superego.

3. What is the origin of Psychodynamics?

The origin of psychodynamics can be traced back to Sigmund Freud, a Viennese neurologist (1856-1939), who is considered one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century. Freud initially used hypnosis to treat hysteria but later developed his own methods, influenced by Joseph Breuer’s work with patients recalling emotional experiences under hypnosis. Freud’s psychoanalysis is a holistic approach that looks at the here and now, as well as past experiences and material repressed in the unconscious.

4. What are the goals of a counsellor?

The goals of a counsellor, according to the sources, are:

• To help clients understand their problems and their lives.
• To help clients identify their existing potential.
• To assist a student in making a decision or choosing a direction.
• To establish a relationship based on trust, confidence, and openness.
• To foster a good working alliance based on acceptance, empathy, and understanding.
• To facilitate changes in the client's behaviour.
• To reduce psychological symptoms, restoring morale and improving self-esteem.
• To improve the quality of the client’s social adjustment and interpersonal relationships.
• To help clients develop self-awareness.
• To help clients build resources to live in more healthy and meaningful ways.
• To help clients gain a more realistic view of their motivations and the needs of other people.
• To help clients develop their full coping potential in regards to a particular issue.
• To uncover the deep causes of an individual’s problems and help eliminate defence mechanisms.
• To help clients understand their problems and their lives.
• To help clients to make a connection between new information and their present circumstances.
• To provide a safe environment where the client can talk freely.
• To provide interpretations to increase client insights.

5. What is Psychoanalytic counselling?

Psychoanalytic counselling is a therapeutic approach rooted in Freudian psychodynamics. It is based on the idea that people have an unconscious mind, and that painful feelings held in this unconscious mind may lead to psychological issues. The goal of psychoanalytic counselling is to bring these unconscious feelings to the surface so the client can experience them and understand them. Psychoanalytic counselling may use techniques such as projective tests, play therapy, dream analysis and free association. Psychoanalytic theory views the client as a person in need of assistance in restructuring their personality. The counsellor facilitates or directs this restructuring. Psychoanalytic counselling is a long-term method of treatment and the results are very slow.

Important Points:

1. Psychodynamic counselling places more emphasis on the influence of past experience on the development of current behaviour.
2. A counsellor's goal is to establish a trusting and empathetic relationship.
3. While problem identification is a part of the counselling process, the goals are more comprehensive, including self-awareness, building resources, and facilitating change.
4. Psychodynamics is a part of psychoanalysis. Psychodynamic theory is an evolution of psychoanalysis, building upon its core principles and concepts.