Psychoanalytic Theory

Psychoanalytic Theory

Introduction

The paper critically examines how the current study is different from the earlier studies regarding the psychoanalysis. The paper highlights the article The Efficacy of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy done by Jonathan Shedler and the concepts it reveals in modern psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis emerged in the 1890s, with Sigmund Freud, a physician interested in finding an effective treatment for patients with neurotic or hysterical symptoms (Ethan, 2001). The discussion with patients, Freud believed that his problems stemmed from cultural, so repressed his unconscious desires and fantasies of a sexual nature. Since Freud, psychoanalysis has developed in many ways, and currently there are several schools. The basic method of psychoanalysis is the interpretation of transference and resistance to the analysis of free association.

The analysis, in a relaxed posture, is asked to say whatever comes to mind. Dreams, hopes, desires and fantasies are of interest, as well as the experiences in the early years of family life (Jonathan, 2010). Generally, the analyst simply listening, commenting only on their professional judgment when viewing a growing opportunity to become aware that analyzing the repressed contents that are supposed, from their associations. Listening to the analysis, the analyst tries to maintain an attitude of empathic neutrality. The psychoanalytic view of personality is still within the theories that were provided from the clinical, marking its features. However, also the clinical aspect of psychoanalysis, the treatment technique is very different today than it was in its infancy (Ethan, 2001).

The concept of Psychoanalysis is over a hundred years old, whose theoretical and practical originality is essentially based on the idea that consciousness is only a tiny part of the psychic life whose center is to be found in the unconscious (Gerald, 2008). Psychoanalysis is based both on a theory of human subjectivity, a meta-psychology of mental functioning providing an understanding of major mental disorders and as a treatment method that is inspired many.

Background

The paper discusses the misconceptions and perceived limitations associated to psychoanalysis usually fixated with the inaccessible concepts presented by Freud half a century ago. Additionally it presents the proper process and effectiveness of psychoanalytical theory. Since the beginning, psychoanalysis has been able to make enormous contributions to the study of an individual's personality of human beings (Murdock, 2009). However, the theory has been modified numerous times and different theories have been developed accordingly. With each new theory, a valuable contribution is made, making psychoanalysis much easier to understand personality. And although these theories have always aroused great controversy, from orthodox psychoanalysis with Freud to the new currents neo-Freudian psychoanalysis has raised important concepts without which the psychology today would be certainly incomplete.

Freud argues that mental activity is the product of a psychic apparatus which is divided into several parts. The oldest contains all the inherited and is called It, which is the pulse energy reservoir. Contact with the outside world, the result will produce a change that gives rise to a new organism is called self. But also during the long process of human children, is ...