The Psychodynamic Approach

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The Psychodynamic Approach to therapies
Psychoanalysis
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Introduction and Overview

• The psychodynamic model says mental disorders
  are caused by conflict between the ID and
  Superego, where they are repressed into the
  unconscious. It brings about a change in an
  individuals behaviour.
• To cure this the problems that cause unusual
  behaviour must be addressed.
• More than 100,000 people are currently receiving
  some form of psychodynamically based therapy.
• The purpose of psychoanalysis is to uncover the
  unconscious conflicts causing an individuals
  mental disorder.
• Psychoanalysis helps the patient to gain insight
  into their conflicts, and thus resolve them.

3
Hypnosis

• Allows patients to break through defence
  mechanisms and enable them to see things they
  were otherwise unaware of.
• Freud abandoned hypnosis because its accuracy
  was debatable, and some patients found its
  revelations painful.

4
Dream Interpretation

• Freud believed that the content of dreams is
  determined by unconscious processes.
• Unconscious impulses are expressed in dreams as
  wish fulfilment.
• Dreams are often symbolic to protect the
  individual
• The therapist has to find the dreams real
  meaning latent content

5
Free Association

• This is the most widely used technique in
  psychoanalysis
• The patient lies on a couch so the therapist
  cannot be seen, this stops any distractions or
  interference.
• The patient is encouraged to say whatever comes
  to mind
• Freud believed this allows information normally
  blocked by the ego to enter consciousness.

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• During analysis the therapist remains anonymous
  and doesnt express any emotion. This makes sure
  the patient does not form a relationship with the
  therapist they become an ambiguous stimulus.
• Freud believed that what patients do not say is
  as important as what they do. If a patient
  expresses an unwillingness to discuss a certain
  subject freely, this is resistance. The
  therapist must draw attention to this resistance.
  
• Resistance indicates that a patient is close to
  the source of the problem.

7
Evaluation

• Recent studies have found psychodynamic
  therapies are as effective as other psychological
  treatments.
• People who undergo psychoanalysis claim they
  gain insight into their problems.
• Early studies found no evidence that
  psychoanalysis had any effect.
• It is difficult to study scientifically.
• Much of the evidence comes from case studies
  which may be biased.
• Carlson 1988, said if a patient accepts insight
  into a behaviour but does not change the
  behaviour, the insight is purely intellectual