Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory Application
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Grand Canyon University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
500
Subject
Arts Humanities
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
8
Uploaded by MasterMoon5645
Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory Application Kresten Herrera College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Grand Canyon University
CNL-500: Theories and Models of Counseling Dr. Jackson
December 13, 2023
1
Introduction
Ana presents to the clinic as a 24-year-old mom and wife, she is currently at risk of becoming homeless and currently has no job, her husband is currently overseas on deployment. She requested treatment for her depression and anxiety. This situation can be looked at by using the Freudian psychoanalytic theory. For the rest of this paper, I will be using Freud’s psychoanalytic theory to be looking at the counseling goals as well as interventional strategies, the social and cultural needs, the treatment process for the client and I will also be providing valuable insight into the application of Freud’s psychoanalysis techniques to therapy. Counseling and Intervention By bringing conflicts to the surface, psychoanalysis gives a deeper understanding of emotional changes as well as developments in a client (Murdock, 2017). With Ana’s case she provides classic symptoms of depression and anxiety, with these symptoms being present however, these are not the root cause of her issues. The psychoanalytic theory states these symptoms are embodiments of the unconscious issues that Ana is repressing. During counseling sessions, it is necessary to apply all the components of using free association as well as applying intervention strategies. Using these a therapist will be able to identify the deep inner issues that are causing Ana to experience the symptoms of depression and anxiety and from there the therapist will be able to further Ana’s integration, after these steps have been taken Ana’s therapist will then be able to look at all the obstacles that are preventing Ana from moving forward in her growth by having her examine her past and seeing how her past is affecting her present (Murdock, 2017).
Treatment Process
2
(Murdock, 2017), has previously described a four-step treatment process, the four stages include the opening stage, transference of development, and finally working through and settling the transference issues. Because Ana is using her insurance to pay for counseling services, she appears to be more willing to follow through with the therapy sessions. Ana’s therapist must remember she is also jobless and may not be able to afford the cost of therapy. When Ana first begins her sessions, she will start by establishing a client and therapist relationship. According to
Ana she has never been to any sort of therapy, and she is currently presenting symptoms of depression and anxiety. As Ana was telling her story she made truly little eye contact. Ana needs
to have a therapist who will observe and listen to her in order for Ana to fully examine her issues
and characteristics of defense (Murdock, 2017). The second stage is where Ana develops transference (Murdock, 2017), during this stage Ana will begin to understand the reasoning behind her behaviors and emotions. During this stage Ana’s therapist will become necessary during the transference of Ana’s emotions. To help explain the interactions between therapist and
client, Ana’s therapist will analyze and interpret these actions. This will begin with safe observations and will eventually progress to interpretations of Ana’s unconscious material (Murdock, 2017). During the third Ana will begin to analyze her unconscious issues with her therapists during the treatment progress in order for her to have a deeper understanding of the reasonings behind her current struggles. During the end stage of therapy, the therapist overseeing
Ana decides if she has gained enough insight as well as the ability to settle her problems and can then begin planning for termination of therapy treatment (Murdock, 2017). The role of a counselor during treatment sessions is to listen to their clients in a friendly manner, they are to accept their clients and not judge. A counselor must maintain an attempt to understand their client and the way they communicate (Auld, Hyman, Rudsinsky, 2005). 3
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
Social and Cultural Needs of Client Throughout the past years many individuals have criticized psychoanalysis due to the
lack of understanding and acknowledgement of the individuals' experiences (Tummala-Narra et
al., 2018). Psychoanalytic therapy is useful for individuals who come from various backgrounds
if the counselor is able to tailor this type of therapy for an individuals needs (Tummala-Narra et
al., 2018). When developing an analysis of Ana’s unconscious emotions, feelings and
motivations her therapist needs to take into consideration her cultural background. A huge role
for a counselor is to be able to give an accurate and truthful analysis for Ana. When analyzing a
client's experience it is common for the therapist to use the clients' cultural norms (Tummala-
Narra et al., 2018). Because of this, a client tends to lean more towards looking at their own
experiences from their therapists' point of view, which in turn the client will then begin to lose
their social identity as well as their cultural identity (Tummala-Narra et al., 2018). Losing one's
social and cultural identity can cause the individual to censor their deeply rooted issues even
more so, this is the opposite of what psychoanalytic theory is trying to achieve. In the Code of
Ethics from the American Counseling Association a counselor must be able to give counseling
services while taking into consideration the clients cultural background and how their
background influences the way that the client experiences their issues (ACA, 2014). The Code of
Ethics also states that a counselor must continue their education as well as obtain more training
as they encounter issues that they are unfamiliar with or if they feel as if they are imposing their
own beliefs or values on the client (ACA, 2014). In Ana’s case she displays all signs and
symptoms of being depression and having anxiety. For Ana’s therapist to better understand her
and the hesitancy to seek out help from her own family then they will need to have a better
understanding of the Guatemalan culture. If an individual is a first-generation immigrant, then
4
they are more likely to feel the pressure of being everything for everyone. In Ana’s case her
therapist must look at and analyze all possibilities that are related to her social identity, cultural
background, and oppression. Valuable Insights (Murdock, 2017), stated that Freud wrote that human behavior is influenced by
intrapsychic conflict. According to Freud’s personality structure model an individual's
intrapsychic conflict is driven by three systems of the individual’s psyche. These three systems
are the Id, the Ego, and the Superego. There are different levels of consciousness that are
connected to these three different systems. Part of Freud’s structural model is the psychodynamic
structure, this is something that has been emphasized in the interactions between the Id, Ego and
Superego. These three systems are fighting for the limited amount of psychic energy that is
available (Segrist, 2009). Freud states that human behavior comes mostly from the individual's
unconscious mind, and most of an individual's mental content is moved from conscious to
unconscious. This movement is called the preconscious (Murdock, 2017). In the domain of an
individual's psychic entity the Id is the most basic type of entity. The Id is an entity that is
present from birth and has primitive behaviors. When an individual is roughly six months old
their Ego begins to develop. Achieving a balance between the demands of the Ego and the Id is
an important aspect of personality development. As early as five years old, an individual begins
to develop their Superego, which becomes an integral part of their personality growth. This
Superego is strongly influenced by societal morals, standards, rules, and values. Meanwhile, an
individual's unconscious mind is driven by their Id. To assist the Ego in simply observing and
judging the Superego, a counselor can help. As per Murdock (2017), an individual's unconscious
mind has an instinctual urge that may be viewed negatively by the conscious mind and society,
5
with the individual's psychic hardware working overtime to suppress these negative urges. An
individual's behavior is a result of a compromise between differing mental forces. When
conducting psychoanalysis, a counselor must understand an individual's unconscious conflicts
and gain insights into their unconscious issues through this theory.
Implement Freudian Processes in Counseling During therapy clients are encouraged by their counselors to become aware that they may
have been dissociating from other humans so that they can gain better knowledge of their own
personalities. An underlying belief of psychoanalytic therapy is to help inspire clients to be
inquisitive about themselves so that they are able to increase their own self-awareness
(Rothschild, 2010). A counselor's ability to inspire self-reflection in their clients can lead to a
therapeutic relationship that reduces the potential for harm. The skills required for such a
relationship are imparted in an environment that promotes self-awareness, curiosity,
understanding, and exploration, as Rothschild (2010) suggests. Although this approach is not
tailored to meet the specific needs of the client, it remains responsive to the dynamic challenges
of therapy sessions and the ever-changing needs of the client (Rothschild, 2010). In Freud's
approach, informal assessments were crucial during his interactions with clients (Murdock,
2017). To avoid harming clients, it is recommended that counselors conduct continual
psychoanalytic assessments of each client, allowing them to discover clues from dreams, errors,
and associations (Murdock, 2017). Formal assessments, a form of psychoanalytic therapy, are
used by therapists to gain a better understanding of clients' defense mechanisms and unconscious
conflicts (Murdock, 2017). Counselors must be aware of their role during the treatment process,
allowing the client's unconscious to do most of the work. Freud emphasized the importance of a
6
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
candidate undergoing self-analysis as a means of developing the appropriate attitude for
becoming a psychoanalyst (Murdock, 2017).
Conclusion If Ana has a specific objective in mind, psychoanalytic therapy may prove to be
extremely beneficial for her. However, it's important that she works with a psychoanalyst who is
culturally competent and willing to extend the number of therapy sessions as needed. Ana will
need to explore her depression and anxiety using free association, eventually leading to the
interpretation of transference, dreams, and her unconscious mind as a whole. Once Ana has
reached the final stage of therapy, her therapist can set a date for termination and Ana will be
able to gain a deeper understanding of her unconscious conflicts, which will no longer control
her.
References
American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA code of ethics. https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf Auld, F., Hyman, M., & Rudzinski, D. (2005). Basic principles of psychoanalytic therapy. In F. Auld, M. Hyman, & D. Rudzinski, Resolution of inner conflict: An introduction to 7
psychoanalytic therapy (pp. 29–37). American Psychological Association. https://doi-
org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/11084-003 Murdock, N. L. (2017). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy: A case approach (4th ed.).Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Rothschild, D. (2010). Partners in treatment: relational psychoanalysis and harm reduction therapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 66(2), 136–149. https://doi Org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/jclp.20670 Segrist, D. J. (2009). What’s Going on in Your Professor’s Head? Demonstrating the Id, Ego, and
Superego. Teaching of Psychology, 36(1), 51–54. https://doiorg.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/00986280802529285 Tummala-Narra, P., Claudius, M., Letendre, P. J., Sarbu, E., Teran, V., & Villalba, W. (2018). Psychoanalytic psychologists’ conceptualizations of cultural competence in psychotherapy. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 35(1), 46–59. https://doi- org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/pap0000150 8