Preview

Psychodynamic Approach To Counselling

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1063 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Psychodynamic Approach To Counselling
Introduction.
This Presentation will look at the psychodynamic approach to counselling, focusing on how problems arise and continue. Then how therapy seeks to resolve these problems. We will look at conflict between ID and superego and unresolved childhood problems. Then we will look at defence mechanisms. From there we look at how therapy brings the unconscious into the conscious to resolve conflicts.
Slide 2.
In psychodynamic theory, there is the structure of the personality, which consist of three parts. First we have the id, which is present at birth and is the instinctual basis of personality and gives us the drives to satisfy our biological needs. Gratification of these needs gives us pleasure and conversely failure of gratification leads
…show more content…
As can be seen in the image on the left, the id and most of the superego are largely unconscious, this shows that much of a person’s behaviour is under control of forces that cannot be consciously acknowledged. This is a core assumption of the psychodynamic approach.
Another important implication of this theory is that the id, ego and superego are, potentially, almost constantly in conflict. For example, the id wants its desires to be gratified, while the ego knows that some drives cannot be acted upon and the superego makes the person feel guilty because such behaviour is wrong or immoral. It is this inner turmoil that leads the mind to develop defence mechanisms, for such turmoil is very uncomfortable to live with.
Another source of problems develops during the different stage of development; this is known as fixation. If too little or too much gratification is received, then fixation occurs.
Too much feeding in the oral stage can lead to feelings of frustration with the realities of the world. Too little can teach a child that their needs will only be met if they get angry or
…show more content…
Transference is the unconscious projection of past relationships into the present. Thus, an individual will continue to repeat past relationships and fixations. Transferences can be both positive and negative and will help a therapist to discover past issues. Counter-transference is the response of the therapist. This interplay between the client and therapist is an important and rich source of understanding.
Slide 5.
Defence mechanisms are the egos way of defending itself against emotionally threatening unconscious impulses and wishes.
First we have repression which is the instant removal of any threatening impulse, idea or memory from conscious awareness.
Then there is denial: the blocking of external events and information form awareness.
Projection is the process of assigning a person’s own desires and thoughts onto another.
Next we have displacement, this involves channelling impulses onto a different target then the one they originated with.
Reaction formation is asserting the opposite, to defend against unacceptable

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    counselling theory essay

    • 1682 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Psychodynamic counselling refers to the inner most deepest unconscious traumas and conflicts of the person’s mind.…

    • 1682 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Psychodynamic Essay

    • 637 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Freud believed that the unconscious mind determines much of our behaviour and that we are motivated by unconscious emotions. Freud believed that the unconscious contains unresolved conflicts and has a powerful effect on our behaviour and experience. He argued that many of these conflicts will show up in our fantasies and dreams, but can appear in the shape of symbols. Freud proposed that the adult personality has three parts the id, ego and superego. The id is the combination of pleasure seeking desires and we are born with it. The ego develops later and it controls the desires of the id. The superego is the moralistic part of personality which develops as a child interacts with significant figures such as its parents. The superego can be seen as the conscience. It is the role of the ego to maintain a balance between the id and the superego.…

    • 637 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The defense mechanism in which unwanted desires or impulses are excluded from the consciousness and left to operate in the unconscious is called: Repression…

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    PSY 101 Unit 4 Study Guide

    • 4862 Words
    • 18 Pages

    Repression- unconsciously pushing away bad memories, urges, or ideas from conscious awareness. Ex. A person loses memory from bad event. Shutter island…

    • 4862 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Conflicts between the id, ego, and superego create anxiety. The ego protects itself with various defence mechanisms (ego defences). These defences can be the cause of disturbed behaviour if they are overused. In childhood the ego is not developed enough to deal with traumas and therefore they are…

    • 959 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Next, the theory of the id, ego, and superego that Sigmund Freud developed is very interesting and has been in media since the mid-1950s. The theory says that the id is the pleasure drive of your body and it seeks immediate pleasure for things you need like immediate satisfaction if you’re hungry, then the ego lives in reality and it is basically the person. The ego…

    • 729 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Firstly, a brief account of psychodynamic theory. Freud proposed that there are three key elements to the structure of a personality; the id, ego and superego. Firstly the id is present from birth and represents the pleasure principle; in other words this aspect of the unconscious involves instinctive and primitive behaviours which seek immediate gratification. The superego on the other hand is the aspect of personality that holds our internalised moral standards, usually developing through experiences and teaching from parents, society and peers. The superego gives humans a sense of right and wrong. Lastly, the ego deals and seeks out reality – encapsulates the reality principle. The ego ensures the impulses of the id are expressed in an acceptable manner, in addition the ego balances the id and superego. The development of the ego and superego alongside the id is proposed via the psychosexual stages of development in which the individual becomes focus on erogenous zones and…

    • 1697 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    One of such theories is the psychoanalysis. It lies in the researches of the human minds and the principles of its working. Main theorists, S. Freud and J. Breuer, emphasized the role of the childhood memories in explaining of different fears and psychological problems of the clients. In fact, S. Freud singled out three components of a human mind. They are id, ego, and superego. The Id is that part of the personality, on which the instinctual drives and needs have a great impact. This aspect is very unstable and dynamic. In other words, it is unmanageable as it is ready to satisfy all demands and avoid pain and problems in any way. Therefore, there is the other element called ego. It deals with the realistic purposes and tries to slow down the impulsiveness of the id. Ego balances between the instinctive drives and realistic principles trying to achieve as many benefits as possible. However, there is a third element superego. It deals with the morality principles. In fact, superego makes instinctive needs and drives reflect in the socially accepted ways. Morality principles and social laws limit the individual 's desires to satisfy basic needs (Masling, 1990).…

    • 1036 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Psychodynamic Approach

    • 1779 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The psychodynamic approach focuses on individuals who behave in a certain way due to having emotional feelings buried deep inside their unconscious mind. The theory was developed by Sigmund Freud who was a psychologist. The use of the psychodynamic approach within health and social care helps individuals understand and support patients who are undergoing the psychodynamic process as it is generally used around the world. This essay aims to show my understanding of the approach and the ways health and social care workers could apply the theory to a health and social care setting. By explaining what psychodynamic counselling is and how it helps individuals it shows how I am able to identify the solutions to the problems.…

    • 1779 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    (DeWolfe) The other agency along with the ego and the id is the superego. The superego is the part of a person’s personality that morals and restraints come from. Most of the qualities of that person’s superego come from the people that they are close to and the people that they are around the most. The reasoning behind this is, that people learn their morals and restraints from the people they look up to.(DeWolfe) For instance when a child is being disciplined by a parent, the child learns if I do this bad thing there will be consequences. With the rest of that child’s life it knows that if it does that same action, there will be a negative connotation. If the child tries to sway from the ways it was taught, it is going to be hard in the beginning because the child knows it is wrong. If the superego agency is strong within your personality it has the power to control the id, which is where your impulses are.(DeWolfe)…

    • 1505 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Freud stressed that human behavior is a result of “intrapsychic forces in conflict” and that in order to analyze these forces he had to find ways of tapping into the unconscious of his patients. He believed that there are three elements of personality: the id, the ego, and the super-ego. The id is the only component of personality that is present from birth. This aspect of personality is completely unconscious and includes instinctive behavior, and is the primary component of your personality. The id strives for immediate gratification of all desires, wants and needs. The ego on the other hand, is a component of personality that is responsible for dealing with reality. Freud Believed that the ego develops from the id and makes sure that the impulses of the id can be expressed in a way that is acceptable in the real world. The last component of personality is the superego. The superego holds internalized moral standards and ideals and ideas of right and wrong that we acquire from our society. It is important to note, that it is not a separation of the mind into three structures and functions, they separate aspects and elements of the single structure of the mind.…

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Alan Morse Dr. Patrick White Movie Essay 1/27/15 Regarding Henry Freud’s Theory of the id is that: The reservoir of instinctual and biological urges, and it operates on a “pleasure principle”. Freud’s theory of the Ego is That it is: Rational, thoughtful decision- maker. And it operates on a “reality principle”. Freud’s theory of the Superego is that is is: The source of the conscience that inhibits the socially undesirable impulses of the id. And it operates on “moral principle”.…

    • 907 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Anxiety comes from realistic sources in the external world and conflict within one’s own mind. A common conflict is when the id desires something that ego and/or superego don’t agree with. An important function of the ego is to operate defense mechanisms.…

    • 414 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ego Psychology

    • 820 Words
    • 4 Pages

    5. Ego psychology: problems with the classical theory; the tasks and the origin of the ego, primary and…

    • 820 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Three of the main forms of counselling can sometimes be confusing. In this article I hope to unravel and clarify some of the mystery surrounding these three types of counselling approaches by means of comparing and contrasting with reference to their differing theoretical rationale, therapeutic interventions and processes of change.…

    • 777 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays