Psychodynamic Approach of Counseling

2. Psychodynamic
Approach to
CounselingCounseling
By
Saira Hossain

3. Origin
Has its origin in
the ideas of
Sigmund Freud

4. Contd.
Freud’s method of treatment is called
psychoanalysis.
Psychodynamic counseling focused on anxiety-
related hysteria, disorders, depression, neuroses,
marital conflicts etc.

5. Aim
To help clients to achieve insight &
understanding around the reason for their
problem .
To translate this insight into a mature
capacity to cope with any future difficulties.

6. Basic Constructs and Concepts
Id, Ego, and Superego: The three parts of the
personality.
Ego Defense Mechanisms: Used by the ego to reduce
anxiety associated with threatening situations or
feelings.
Psychological problem occurs during disruption of the
developmental stages .

7. Id , Ego & Super ego
Id
Operates on the “pleasure principle”
Immediate gratification
Ego
Operates on the “reality principle”
Seeks to gratify id’s impulses in realistic ways that will bring
long-term pleasure rather than pain and destruction
Superego
Operates on the “ideal principle”
What is morally correct

9. Mechanisms of DefenseMechanisms of Defense
1. Repression
2. Denial
3. Regression
4. Displacement
5. Reaction formation
6. Projection
7. Rationalization
5.Displacem

10. Contd.
Repression :banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts
and feelings from consciousness
Denial : refusing to accept that certain facts exist;
insisting that something is not true.
Regression: Revert to a previous stage of
development.
Displacement: Shifts sexual or aggressive impulses
toward a more acceptable or less threatening
object or person,

11. Contd..
Reaction Formation : the ego unconsciously makes
unacceptable impulses look like their opposites.
Projection :Repress one’s feelings and attribute
them to someone else.
Rationalization : Channeling impulses on to
socially accepted medium.

12. Psychosexual Stages of Development
Oral Stage
Anal Stage
Phallic Stage
Latency Stage
Genital Stage

13. Oral Stage
About first 12-18 months of life
Infants seek & gain pleasure from the mouth
Focus: sucking, biting, chewing etc.
 Fixation causes - Nail biters, pencil chewers,
thumb suckers, chain smokers etc.

15. Anal Stage
Approx. 18 months to three years of age
Fascination with bodily function.
Focus : Anal region, eliminating & retaining feces
 Fixation causes due to inappropriate Toilet-
training
 “Anal retentive” – obsessed with tidiness
 “Anal expulsive” – messy & disorganized

17. Phallic Stage
Approx. 3-6 yrs of age
Child’s energy focuses on genitals.
Penis Envy
Castration anxiety
Fixation causes oedipus or electra complex

18. Latency
Approx. 6-12 yrs of age.
Focuses on spending time with people of the same
sex.
Sexual instincts die down & superego develops.
Child acquire new social values from adult,
outside the family & play from peer.

19. Genital Stage
Puberty to Adulthood
Sexual desires come back to the fore front.
Successful development in the earlier stage leads
to mature sexuality,, marriage & the birth &rearing
of children.

20. Techniques used in Psychodynamic
Therapy \
Transference
Free Association
Dream Analysis
Interpretation
Analysis of Resistance
Others

21. Transference
Client’s feelings are directed toward the therapist
as though the therapist were the source of the
feelings instead of someone from the client’s past.
Therapist as a blank screen
To become aware of this projection.

22. Free Association
Saying whatever comes to mind,usually lying in a
relaxed position.
No matter how trivial or embarrassing.

23. Dream Analysis
Dream is wish fulfillment & have 2 component.
 Manifest Content- Incorporates traces of previous days’
experiences and preoccupations.
Latent Content- Censored symbolic version-consists of
unconscious drives and wishes that may be threatening if
expressed directly.

24. Interpretation
To generate meaning from transference, free
association, dreams etc.
Issues while making interpretation-
Is the timing right?
Is the interpretation correct?
Can the interpretation be phrased in such a way
that the client will understand it?

25. Others :
Use of toys & plays.
Use of art, sculpture, poetry.
Use of projective Techniques e.g.
TAT
Rorschach Inkblot Test

26. TAT

27. Rorschach Inkblot Test

28. Post Freudian Evolution
Object relations theories
British Independents
Bowl by's Attachment Theory

29. Object Relation Theory
Originator : Melanie Klein
Conflict & anxieties felt by children arose from
their relationship with human objects rather than
sexual impulses.
Mother represented as the ‘part-object’ of breast in
the first month to child

31. Contd.
Paranoid-schizoid -
Fundamental insecurity evoked by the feelings of
bad.
During the first few month of baby
Perceive mother as a whole object rather than part
Splitting experience began to resolved

32. Contd..
Depressive reaction
Deep sense of disappointment & anger.
Sense of guilt.
Self vs rest of the world
Inability to differentiate between what is self &
what is rest of the world

33. Application of Object Relation in
Psychodynamic Therapy
Make aware the client about Splitting
Projective Identification –
 a process of emotional defense that is
interpersonal rather than intrapersonal .
Client’s problem rooted in relationships

34. British Independent
Middle group between kleinians & anna freud.
Independent mind
Kohon & Rayner
Counter transference: when the therapist feelings
are placed on the client .

35. John Bowlby’s Theory of attachment
Stresses the importance of the child developing in relation
to context and environment.
The child impacts the environment and the environment
impacts the child.
Psychoanalyst focuses on attachment to understand
development
ble to successfully separate and individuate

36. Multi cultural Issues & psychodynamic counseling
It has received a lot of criticism from women and minority groups
because it tends to be seen as male and elitist.
Its beginning had sexist concepts such as “penis envy.”
Historically, patriarchy, domination and lengthy treatment hold to
oppressive views and patronage by only the wealthy.
Insight is not a highly valued concept in many cultures or lower
socioeconomic statuses.

37. Own interpretation:
May falsifiable!
 Generalizing from experiences of a few
A typical patients
 Based the memories of patients
Might be tempting to do too much analysis and not
enough working toward change.
transference and counter transference can be hard to deal
with without training and awareness.

38. Thank you you

39. Questions if any ?