Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards

1
Q

What is meant by psychological formulation

A

Aims to identify processes leading to cause and maintenance of a disorder.
‘why developed problems now?’ ‘what thoughts and behaviours are maintaining the disorder?’
Leads to explanatory hypothesis which is used for guiding treatments.
Guided by the theoretical viewpoints of the therapist.

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2
Q

Who influenced Freud to create his psychoanalysis method? What were his outcomes?

A

Patient Anna O - Bertha.
She spoke under hypnosis about past traumas and expressed strong emotions. She displayed physical paralysis and deafness. Freud argued that catharsis (process of releasing of energy through talking) cured Bertha of physical symptoms.

Freud found that behaviour was influenced by unconscious mental processes
Can remove physical symptoms through talking
Painful reminiscing is then banished from consciousness

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3
Q

How did Freud describe human nature? What are the two key instincts?

A

Humans have psychic energy and our personality is an energy system. Transference and transformations of psychic energy from one part to another shapes our personality.
Instincts are a source of energy in behaviour and makes up the dynamics of personality.

Two key instincts:

  • Eros = life instinct - self preservation, species preservation, ego and object love
  • Thanatos = death instinct - self destruction, aggression
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4
Q

How did Freud divide the mind?

A

Conscious - thought and feelings we are aware of

Unconscious - inadmissible memories we are not aware of

Preconscious - can become conscious people without intervention. Slip on tongue

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5
Q

What are the mental apparatus that make up personality?

A

Id (unconscious) = present firm birth. Works on pleasure principle. Acts on need for immediate gratification. If delayed - primary process thinking - generation of fantasies to gratify id impulses -wish fulfillment

Superego (all three) = morality principle, made up of parental influence. Contains demands of id through ego, via precepts + prohibitions. Can become harsh and restricting

Ego (preconscious) =mediator between id and ego. Ruled by reality principle. Seeks pleasure but represents reason + common sense. Confronts reality through secondary process thinking - planning, decision making, repression.

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6
Q

How do psychological problems arise according to Freud?

A

Conflicts between the three mental components of personality.

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7
Q

Anxiety caused by the 3 components of personality?

A

Can be a reaction to actual or anticipated anger. Brought out by psychodynamic conflicts between ego and other mental structures.
Example:
Conflict with superego = moral anxiety
Conflict with Id = neurotic anxiety
Conflict with reality = realistic anxiety

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8
Q

What are the stages of Freud’s psychosexual development? What principle does it rely on?

A

Cathexis = Libidal energy invests itself in certain objects

ORAL = 0-2 = mouth is object of interest - child receives gratification from sucking and feeding
ANAL = 2-3 = anus, gratification from retention and elimination of faeces 
PHALLIC = 3-6 = self-manipulation of genitals, noticing differences between girls and boys 
LATENCY = 6-12 = onset of puberty with sexual inhibitions 
GENITAL = 12+ = development of adult sexuality after puberty.
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9
Q

What complex do boys develop according to Freud?

A

Oedipus complex
Development of object cathexis for mother, wants to replace father.
Threat of castration causes repression resolution causing renounce affection for mother.
Identifies with father

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10
Q

What complex do girls develop according to Freud?

A

Electra complex
Blames mother for Adsense of penis (penis envy)
Desires father, wishes to get rid of mother
Complex weakens due to disappointments from father

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11
Q

What is the purpose of the ego defence mechanisms?

A

When instinctual demands from id place it in danger the mechanisms relieve anxiety
Develop during childhood as a response to struggle against sexuality

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12
Q

Outline ego defence mechanisms. Repression, reaction formation, regression, denial, progression, sublimation.

A

Repression - preventing unacceptable thoughts from entering conscious.
Reaction formation - preventing awareness of unacceptable desires by taking opposite stance
Regression - reverting to earlier developmental level
Denial - refusing to face reality
Projection - attributing own unacceptable thoughts to another
Sublimation - channeling frustrated energy into socially acceptable outlet

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13
Q

One comparison between medical model and Freud’s psychodynamic approach.

A

Medical model has dichotomy between normal and disordered states

Freuds is more dimensional - creating spectrum of mental well-being

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14
Q

What is neurotic development according to Freud ? Give an example.

A
  • frustration of sexual impulses or inhibition of sexual instincts by ego - repression
  • transforming frustrated sexual impulses into neurotic symptoms
  • evolving inadequate defence mechanisms

OCD: fear id impulses and use defence mechanisms undergoing reaction formation. Fixation at anal stage

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15
Q

What are the goals of psychoanalytic therapy ?

A
  • make unconscious conscious - reintegration of repressed material
  • strengthen ego
  • make superego more humane
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16
Q

What was the therapeutic relationship between Freud and a patient? What was the criteria for patient?

A

Requirements:
Not with those with neurotic disorders
Not at or approaching 50
Reasonable degree of education, reliable character

At least 4 45minute sessions per week
Clients are encouraged to say what comes to mind without censorship
Encouraged to reveal intimate secrets

17
Q

Freud’s therapeutic technique - Free association

A

Patient says whatever comes to mind, even if they believe it is unimportant or forbidden. Aim is to reveal any repressions and make the unconscious conscious. Psychoanalyst uses three main tools: confrontation, interpretation and reconstruction.

18
Q

Freuds therapeutic technique - resistance

A

when the patient blocks their free association - ego protecting itself and avoiding a painful topic.

19
Q

Freud’s therapeutic technique - transferenc. How does this link to where the psychoanalyst will sit with the patient?

A

When the patient acts or feels towards the psychoanalyst as if they were an important figure in their childhood - connected with neuroses

It is the reason why psychoanalyst will sit behind the patient - acting as shadow where patient transfer all thoughts and feelings - becomes focus of patient.

20
Q

Freud’s therapeutic techniques - interpretation and its sources.

A

Explanations of behaviour transformed into preconscious and conscious thought - psychoanalyst explains the unconscious motives behind behaviour. Encourages the ego and expose the id to criticism.

Sources: 
free association
parapraxes - unconscious material comes out by 'slip of the tongue'
transference 
dreams
21
Q

Freud’s therapeutic techniques - dream analysis and differences between different types of content

A

In sleep, the defence mechanisms are less in operation and so dreams could be used to reveal working of the unconscious.

Manifest content: consciously recalled
Latent content: symbolic meaning behind what was recalled.

22
Q

How did Jung disagree with Freud’s assumptions?

A
  • human nature is not entirely sexual

- unconscious mind is personal to the individual

23
Q

Jung’s levels of consciousness

A

conscious - what is known and available
personal unconsciousness - memories that have been forgotten or repressed
collective unconsciousness - inherited from ancestors - containing archetypes content

24
Q

Archetypes and personality

A

Persona - public personality - a mask
Anima - female characteristic in male personality
Animus - male characteristics in the female personality
Shadow - dark side of the personality
Self - personality as a whole, encompasses conscious and unconscious.

25
Q

Jung’s dynamics of the psyche

A

psychic energy - expression of human instincts
compensation - unconscious force balancing out energy distributions
breakthrough of unconscious content - through energy depletion in conscious mind or spontaneous activation of unconscious content
transcendent function - widening of consciousness through confrontation with previously unconscious contents

26
Q

Jung’s stages of life

A

childhood (birth to puberty) - consciousness develops from unconscious mind
youth (puberty to 35/40) - clinging onto childhood conscious in demanding circumstances
middle age (35/40 to extreme old age) - contemplation and self-realisation
extreme old age - submersion into unconsciousness.

27
Q

Jungs individuation

A

Separating self from collective psychology - personal growth. Unconscious conflicts no longer central force for development.
assimilating unconscious content into conscious
often occurring at middle age stage of life

28
Q

Jung’s attitude types - extrovert vs introvert

A

extrovert:
conscious attitude for interest in external objects
open, friendly, sociable, arguable

introvert:
conscious attitude for preventing objects from gaining power over them
interested in ones external world whilst objects are secondary
reserved, inscrutable, shy

29
Q

Jung’s functional types - rational and irrational

A

rational- characterised by reasoning and judging functions

  • thinking individual - reflective thinking
  • feeling individual - led by feelings

irrational - actions are based on intensity of perception

  • sensation individual - guided by the senses
  • intuition individual - hunches and insights
30
Q

Jungs psychological types combined together

A

look at photos/ powerpoint

31
Q

Jungian psychotherapy views? Example.

A

Diagnoses are important but do not help the patient.
Their story is crucial, background and sufferings act as the basis of therapy.
For example:
Schizophrenia: extreme introversion, withdrawal of libido from reality, world of fantasy.

32
Q

How did Jung describe a mental disorder? How did he describe neuroses?

A

Mental disorder: imbalance between needs of the individual and needs of the collective.
Neuroses: homeostatic imbalance between conscious and unconscious.

33
Q

Jungs analytical therapy aims

A

attain goals, deal with complexes, strengthen consciousness
achieve homeostatic balance
understand inner self
achieve self-actualisation

34
Q

Jung’s therapeutic procedure

A

2-3 sessions per week, break after 10 weeks
eye-to-eye dialogue
therapist can be human and show confrontation

35
Q

What is Jung’s four stages of therapy?

A

confession
elucidation - interpretation of projections
education - learn new adaptive habits
transformation - individuation and self-acceptance

36
Q

Jung’s therapeutic interventions - analysis of transference

A

understand projected unconscious content
deal with personal and collective unconscious projections
give client more energy

37
Q

Jung’s therapeutic interventions - active imagination

A

uses unconscious to produce images and make a story
images can have own life
can further develop through painting
not all clients

38
Q

Jung’s therapeutic interventions - dream analysis + tasks

A

believed that dreams were a text written in a different language - different types of dreams: initial, little, big, singular, series

Tasks:

  • amplification - establish context via directed association (how does this appear to you?)
  • interpretation - understand both in and out sessions - have homework dream diary
  • assimilation - can finally understand unconscious content. Assent of client to therapist interventions.