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Block 3 Other Counselling Interventions

Unit 2 Psychodynamic Couple’s Counselling

1. What do you understand by psychodynamic approach and how it differs from psychoanalytic approach?

The psychodynamic approach originates from Freud's work, focusing on the influence of the unconscious mind (id, ego, superego), past experiences, and repressed materials on present behaviour. It looks at patterns in relationships and how past experiences influence the present.

While rooted in psychoanalysis, psychodynamic theory is often considered a broader term. It allows for more flexibility and may include other influences, such as object relations, whereas psychoanalysis is the more specific, original approach that involves a long period of self analysis.

2. What is object relation theory? How it can be applied for a couple's counselling?

Object relations theory focuses on how early relationships, particularly with primary caregivers, shape internal representations of self and others (objects). These internalised relationships influence how people choose and interact with partners.

In couple's counselling, object relations theory helps understand how each partner's past experiences and internalized objects affect their current relationship patterns. For instance, a person may project unresolved issues from childhood onto their partner. The counsellor looks to provide insights into these patterns.

3. What are the three stages of Couples counselling?

The three stages of couple's counselling are:

• Exploration: This involves a non-judgmental approach using active listening to understand the presenting problems. Tasks such as assessing the couple's context, individual and couple history, and current health are included in this phase.
• Understanding: This involves exploring patterns and struggles by examining past relationships and experiences, especially unconscious patterns. Transactional analysis (TA) may be used in this stage.
• Action: This focuses on summarising themes, introducing unacknowledged feelings, and encouraging clients to challenge each other, and make changes in behaviour.

4. What are the roles of a good couple counselor?

A good couple counselor should:Create a non-judgemental and empathetic environment.

1. Use active listening skills to promote understanding.
2. Facilitate a therapeutic alliance with both partners.
3. Help each partner gain insight into their early relationships.
4. Help the couple identify and understand their interactional patterns.
5. Help the couple to distinguish between the past and present issues.
6. Guide the couple to take appropriate action.
7. Be aware of potential issues like domestic violence, mental illness, and suicidal ideation.
8. Be able to discern when to refer a couple for specialist care.

5. Other than interpersonal relationship what could be the other factors which can influence marriage?

Other factors that can influence marriage, other than interpersonal relationships, include:

• Finances.
• Children.
• Fidelity.
• Communication.
• Compatibility.
• Each partner’s personal history and character.
• The history of the relationship.
• Attendant circumstances at the time of presentation.
• Social and cultural contexts.
• Each partner’s physical and mental health.
• Legal proceedings.
• Significant third parties involvement.

6. Discuss how to handle couple with mental illness.

When working with couples where one or both partners have a mental illness, it is important to:

• Recognise that couple counselling may not cure mental illness.
• Assess what kind of couple work is possible and focus it appropriately.
• Ensure that the chosen approach does not increase distress or confusion.
• Be aware of any suicidal threats from either partner, and exercise particular vigilance.
• Refer the clients to relevant experts when necessary.

Important Points

1. According to Psychoanalytic theory underlying processes (feeling, ideas, impulses, drives etc.) influence much of overt behaviour, that these underlying processes are often not at the conscious level. This theory, stemming from Freud's work, emphasises the unconscious as a driver of behaviour.
2. Nathan Ackerman started first psychoanalysis approaches in family counselling. While Freud developed psychoanalysis, Ackerman is noted for applying these concepts to family counselling.
3. The process, in which is a repetition of past conflicts with significant others, displacing feelings, behaviours, and attitudes belonging rightfully in those earlier relationships onto the analyst or therapist, is called Transference. This is a key concept in psychoanalytic therapy where past relationship patterns are re-enacted in the therapeutic relationship.
4. The internalised residues of early parent child interactions are known as Object Relations. These are the mental representations of significant figures, particularly from childhood, that influence later relationships.
5. The three stages of counselling approach are Exploration, understanding, action. These stages provide a framework for couple's counselling.