Malan

Question 1

psychodynamic approach

Answer 1

approach founded by Malan that has similarities with Freud’s psychoanalytic approach; assumptions about how the mind works are based on psychoanalytic theory, but the techniques are extremely distinct

Question 2

Where is the cause of the client’s current problem in psychodynamic therapy?

Answer 2

The cause of the client’s current problem is in the PAST - there is a parallel between the client’s current problem and a past event, but the client is UNAWARE of the cause OR parallel.

Question 3

basic assumptions of psychodynamic theory

Answer 3

in agreement with Freud about the fundamentals:
cause of current issue is in the past
1. clients unaware of why they are in therapy
2. clients unaware of the cause of the symptom (perceive the symptom as an abrupt appearance)
3. clients may not necessarily comprehend what is the problem; UNCONSCIOUS STILL VERY IMPORTANT

Question 4

view of unconscious - psychodynamic approach

Answer 4

slightly varied in psychodynamic approach: ______ is a continuum - some events we are aware of but incapable of describing to others while other events we are simply completely unaware of

Question 5

view of symptoms - psychodynamic approach

Answer 5

-symptoms serve a function (i.e., serve as a comfort/alleviation for the client - requesting for them to let go of the symptom demonstrates a loss for the client)
-symptom protects person from awareness of painful feelings or feared impulses, and they act out their symptom when awareness or actions creep up
-source of symptoms: symptoms are unexpressed feelings from the past (we convey these feelings in a disguised way)

Question 6

unconscious communication

Answer 6

the idea that clients discuss subjects in therapy that, on the surface, may not appear to relate to therapy; this is a parallel of something actually relevant that the client cannot discuss

e.g., client complains about professor being a terrible instructor –> actually talking about you and how you are not doing a good job as a therapist

Question 7

countertransference

Answer 7

the therapist’s past feelings about a particular individual are placed on/projected onto our client; our reactions to our clients originate from us rather than from our clients

Question 8

psychodynamic techniques

Answer 8

1. main technique: therapist’s interpretation of transference
2. connect present with past, other with parent
3. become aware of hidden feelings you are avoiding
4. work through the resistance (client’s resistance to acknowledge /accept a particular pain in their past)

Question 9

psychodynamic therapeutic goals

Answer 9

-become aware of hidden feelings (i.e., emotional insight) because the ultimate goal is conscious choice (health = being able to choose the most adaptive way to behave).

-accept the past as it is: know that the pain will always remain, but 1) do not let it control your behavior or use defenses to avoid recalling past pain, and 2) cease to engage in repetition compulsion to attempt to mend the past

Question 10

similarities of psychodynamic to psychoanalytic

Answer 10

1) focuses on the client’s past and unconscious motivation
2) transference uncovers interpersonal distortions (i.e., attempting to receive from others presently what we lacked when we were children)

Question 11

differences of psychodynamic to psychoanalysis

Answer 11

1) therapist more straightforward and instructive
2) techniques - patient attends therapy less frequently, therapy is time-limited, patient sits facing the therapist, and therapist and patient have a dialogue rather than patient using free association
3) view of hidden feeling is different - can be virtually anything painful from the past, is not reduceable to sex as psychoanalytic, and it is not necessarily before age 6