Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Question 1

What aspects of the problem with Sinead O’Connor would a therapist explore in therapy?

Answer 1

how some of the things happening in the present with her relationships might be mirroring her past relationships

Question 2

Since psychodynamic therapy was the first historically, other therapies were…

Answer 2

reactions against it

Question 3

Psychoanalytic and Neo-freudian therapy are among other

Answer 3

overlapping terms that mean psychodynamic therapy

Question 4

What is the primary goal of psychodynamic therapy?

Answer 4

To make the unconscious the conscious, and give insight into thoughts, feelings, and other mental activities outside of awareness

Question 5

What was the fundamental idea of Sigmund Freud?

Answer 5

the very presence of the unconscious

Question 6

What is free association?

Answer 6

a client saying what ever comes to mind without any self-censorship or editing, which is not easy. this allows the unconscious to be expressed

Question 7

What are freudian slips?

Answer 7

verbal or behavioural mistakes that reveal unconscious wishes. ex: throw a ring at bf when he proposed

Question 8

What are dreams?

Answer 8

manifested content represents hidden content, which contains unconscious wishes

Question 9

What is resistance?

Answer 9

when client resists certain topics in therapy because they touch on certain unconscious feelings or thoughts

Question 10

How might one notice resistance?

Answer 10

missed appointments, tardiness, change subject

Question 11

What is a defence mechanism?

Answer 11

unconscious techniques created by the emo as an attempt to handle conflict between the id and superego

Question 12

T or F? Repression, Projection, Reaction Formation, Displacement, and Sublimation are all defence mechanisms?

Answer 12

TRUE!!!!!!

Question 13

What is repression and give an example

Answer 13

Repression – keep impulse in unconscious

• Ex: A strong wanting to do something but you feel it’s unacceptable so you push it down. Can only do it for so long because it’s hard to do.

Question 14

What is projection and give an example

Answer 14

Projection – attribute to others

• Ex: a friend that keeps accusing you of a certain thing like jealousy; then turn it back on them. They are most likely feeling that.

Question 15

What is reaction formation and give an example

Answer 15

Reaction formation – do opposite of impulse

• Ex: dislike someone in your family. Since you don’t want to cause a wave you are overly kind and polite to the person.

Question 16

What is displacement and give an example

Answer 16

Displacement – redirect impulse

• ‘kick the dog’
• Ex: angry with boss but you take anger out on someone else

Question 17

What is sublimation and give an example

Answer 17

Sublimation – redirect impulse in a way that benefits others

• Ex: if you have a lot of anger you might take up hockey or wrestling
• Taking something unacceptable and turning it in to something that is socially acceptable

Question 18

What is transference?

Answer 18

Client forms a relationship with therapist in which client unconsciously and unrealistically expects therapist to behave like important people from the client’s past

Clients would prejudge and project someone onto you.

Question 19

By becoming neutral and a blank canvas, clients are able to recognize how…

Answer 19

their own transference tendencies and the ways in which their unrealistic perceptions of others affect their relationship and their lives.

Question 20

Why does the blank screen role of the therapist facilitate transference?

Answer 20

transference because if a therapist reveals as little about themselves as possible you can conclude that feelings the client has towards her are purely transference

Question 21

What is countertransference ?

Answer 21

transference but from the therapist to the client

Question 22

What is the key issue with Oral stage (0-1.5years)? What is the difference between overindulgence and under indulgence?

Answer 22

dependency/trust/insecure attachment

♣ Underindulgence -> distrustful and pessimistic of other
♣ Overindulgence -> naïve and overly trusting

Question 23

What is the key issue with anal stage (1.5-3years)? What is the difference between overly-demanding parents and overly-lenient parents?

Answer 23

the key issue is control:

♣ Overly-demanding parents -> “control freaks,” obsessiveness
♣ Overly-lenient parents -> lax about organization, “slobs,” disorganization

Question 24

What is the key issue with phallic stage (3-6years)? What is the difference between overly positive parents and overly negative parents?

Answer 24

self worth/view of self since children seek to have close relationships with their parents

♣ If parents respond too negatively, child’s sense of self is damaged -> insecure, self-doubting
♣ Kind of like playing out pretend roles as a kid – pretend romantic relationship

Question 25

What is ego psychotherapy?

Answer 25

Emphasizes social relationships over psychosexual stages: emphasized the adaptive tendencies of the ego over the pleasure-based drive of the id

Question 26

What does object relations therapy emphasize?

Answer 26

deemphasized internal conflict (id vs. superego) and instead emphasized relationships between internalized “objects” (important people in their life)

Question 27

What does self psychology therapy emphasize?

Answer 27

Emphasizes parental roles in the development of the self, with special attention to narcissism

Question 28

More recent forms of psychotherapy emphasize

Answer 28

efficiency

Question 29

What are some features of brief psychodynamic psychotherapies? (5)

Answer 29

Narrow problems, quick alliance, focus on present as well as past, therapists are more active, pathology is less severe

Question 30

What is IPT (Interpersonal Therapy)?

Answer 30

Designed to treat depression in 14-18 sessions

Improving interpersonal relationships will alleviate depression

Emphasis on role expectations
♣ Ex: Garon felt like client didn’t like her out of fear of Garon not liking her

Question 31

What is Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy?

Answer 31

Variation of IPT for clients with bipolar disorder

Control and stabilize daily rhythms, sleep cycles, social interactions

Because predictability is very soothing

Question 32

What is Time-Limited Psychotherapy?

Answer 32

Focus on transference and a therapy relationship that doesn’t follow the same unhealthy, unconscious “script” as previous relationships

Make client aware of script to enable a corrective emotional experience

Question 33

It is very difficult to…

Answer 33

empirically measure the outcomes of psychotherapy

Question 34

What are some reasons it is so difficult?

Answer 34

o Improvement can’t be objectively measured
o Difficult to manualize (have consistent strategy – hard to do because it’s an approach rather than a set of rules), which inhibits empirical study

Question 35

Allegiance effects may influence outcome studies, particularly for psychodynamic therapy… why? (2)

Answer 35

o Few empirical outcome researchers are psychodynamic
o Researchers own orientations may bias the results of their studies (like if they are CBT or behavioral therapists – they may really disregard psychodynamic)

Question 36

What are 2 supported components of psychodynamic therapy ?

Answer 36

o Interpretation of transference reactions

o Interpretation of countertransference reactions

Question 37

Regardless,

Answer 37

large-scale reviews support its benefits with some disorders, but remains unproven with others