Psychoanalytic Theory

Sigmund Freud
BY:
S A’ I DA H S A L I M
MPP161067
Background
 Developed by Sigmund Freud.
 Psychoanalytic theory was the first of many psychodynamics
theories to follow many within a direct line from Freudian thinking.
 Psychoanalytic is both an approach to therapy and a theory of
personality.
 Freud had numerous psychomatics disorder such as fear of dying
and other phobia.
 He gained insight by exploring the meaning of his own dream.
View of Human Nature
 Human nature is basically deterministic.
 People’s behavior is determined by unconscious
motivations.
 Freud believed people act as they do based on their sexual
and aggressive drives.
 Childhood experiences are crucial in shaping adult
personality.
View of Human Nature
 Human nature could be explained in term of :

1) Conscious mind
2) Preconscious mind
3) Unconscious mind
Freud’s view of human mind
Structure of Personality
• Inborn
Id • Driven by sexual and aggressive urge.
• Operates on the pleasure principle
(Biological component)

Ego • Mediates the desire of the id and superego

• Operates on the reality principle
(Psychological Component)

Superego • Able to differentiate between rights and wrongs.

• It is responsible for restricting ego from fulfilling the id needs.
(Social component) • Operates on moral principles
Ego Defense Mechanism
• unconscious strategies people use to control the anxiety.

1.Repression 2.Reaction Formation 3.Projection

• Unpleasant • The expression of • The individuals
experiences are an unwanted attributing their
pushed back into feeling or thought own unacceptable
the unconscious is redirected to thought and
mind. another. feeling to another
person.
Ego Defense Mechanism

4.Denial 5.Displacement 6.Sublimation

• Refusing to admit • Channel energy • It transform
that something from one to unacceptable
unpleasant is another. impulse into socially
happening. accepted behavior.
Ego Defense Mechanism
7.Rationalization
• Providing a reasonable
explanation to make
undesirable behavior appear
logical and justify their
action.
8.Regression
• Individual reverts to an
early stage of development
because of fear or faced
with negative life events.
Role of the therapist
 Therapist play the role of expert.
 Therapist encourage their clients to talk about whatever
comes to their minds.
 The therapist role is to let client gain insight.
Techniques
1. Free association
• Client are encouraged to talk whatever comes to their mind

2. Dream analysis
• Freud believed that dreams were main avenue to understanding the unconsciousness .

3. Analysis of transference
• Transference relates to the way you may be transferring thoughts or feelings connected to
influential figures in your life onto your therapist.

4. Analysis of resistance
• Resistance is an unconscious that one employs to defend against the intolerable anxiety
and pain
Advantages
 Client gains insight.
 Can be used for a variety of disorders such as hysteria,
phobia, and anxiety.
Limitation
 Requires client full commitment.
 Long term process
 Expensive