| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m |
| n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z |
Psychoanalysis
The term Psychoanalysis is used to refer to both the type of Therapy developed by Freud and psychoanalytic theory developed by Freud. Here it will be used to refer to the types of treatment.
The main assumption in Psychoanalysis is that conflict occurs in the Unconscious part of the personality. Therefore the aim of Psychoanalysis is to explore the individual's Unconscious mind in order to understand the dynamic of abnormal behaviour. During treatment the individual is encouraged to re-experience traumatic events and feelings encountered in childhood, express them in a safe context and then return them, devoid of anxiety, to the unconscious.
In classical psychoanalysis, there are a number therapies involved.
Free association consists of the individual saying whatever comes to mind no matter how trivial or irrelevant it may seem. Because the spontaneous expression avoids censorship by the Ego the nature of the responses made are believed to be the concerns of the Unconscious mind. These expressions can then be interpreted by the psychoanalyst in order to bring the Unconscious material into conscious.
Transference involves the Projection and displacement of thoughts and feelings onto the analyst. The interpretation of Transference is regarded by many analysts as the major source of therapeutic change.
Dream analysis involves the analyst, interpreting the content of the client's dreams and looking for hidden meanings in the form of disguised symbols. Freud argued that dreams were the royal road to the unconscious. Dreams are believed to contain Unconscious wish fulfilments, conflicts and desires.
Obviously the psychoanalytic process is difficult and time-consuming.
