Lecture 7: Application of Freudian Theory in Therapy

Introduction to Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory

• Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) pioneered psychoanalysis
• Focus on unconscious processes influencing behavior
• Introduced key concepts: id, ego, superego
• Developed psychosexual stages theory
• Centrality of early childhood experiences

Key terms: Unconscious, Repression

The Concept of the Unconscious Mind

• The unconscious is pivotal to Freud's theory
• It stores thoughts, memories, desires outside awareness
• Dynamic, with an ongoing influence on behavior
• Divided into conscious, preconscious, and unconscious levels
• Manifests indirectly through dreams, slips, and symptoms

Key terms: Topographical Model, Freudian Slip

Structures of Personality: Id, Ego, and Superego

• Freud proposed three structures: id, ego, superego
• Id operates on pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification
• Ego functions via reality principle, balancing desires and norms
• Superego serves as moral compass, internalizing societal values
• These structures exist in constant dynamic conflict

Key terms: Pleasure Principle, Reality Principle

The Psychosexual Stages of Development

• Freud’s developmental framework: stages tied to libido
• Oral Stage (0-1 years): focus on mouth, feeding and gratification
• Anal Stage (1-3 years): control, focus on toilet training
• Phallic Stage (3-6 years): discovery of genitals, Oedipus/Electra complex
• Latency Stage (6-12 years): sexual energy sublimated into learning

Key terms: Libido, Oedipus Complex

Freudian Defense Mechanisms

• Defense mechanisms protect the ego from anxiety and conflict
• Repression: Pushing distressing thoughts into the unconscious
• Projection: Attributing one’s own unacceptable thoughts onto others
• Displacement: Redirecting emotions to a safer outlet
• Sublimation: Channeling unwanted impulses into socially acceptable activities

Key terms: Defense Mechanisms, Repression, Projection

Freud’s Dream Theory: The Royal Road to the Unconscious

• Dream analysis provides insight into repressed desires and unconscious conflicts
• Manifest content: What is consciously remembered from dreams
• Latent content: The hidden, symbolic meaning behind the dream
• Dream-work transforms latent content into manifest content
• Symbolism plays a key role in disguising unacceptable thoughts

Key terms: Manifest Content, Latent Content, Dream-work

Freudian Applications in Therapy: Free Association

• Free association involves saying whatever comes to mind without censorship
• Allows access to unconscious thoughts and feelings
• Therapist listens for recurring themes, symbols, and slips
• Resistance: Hesitations or silences may indicate underlying conflict
• Transference: Patients project feelings about others onto the therapist

Key terms: Free Association, Resistance, Transference

Freud’s Model of Mental Conflict

• Freudian conflict centers around the Id, Ego, and Superego
• Mental health issues arise when these entities conflict excessively
• Conflict results in anxiety, which the Ego manages using defense mechanisms
• Primary types of conflicts include impulse control and moral dilemmas
• Internal struggles are often expressed unconsciously

Key terms: Mental Conflict, Neurosis

Freud’s View of Aggression and Its Implications

• Aggression: A drive inherent in the Id
• Thanatos: Death drive intertwining with aggression
• Aggression emerges when Ego or Superego struggles to suppress harmful impulses
• Internalized aggression can manifest as self-destructive behavior
• Externalized aggression may appear as anger or hostility toward others

Key terms: Aggression, Thanatos

Freud’s Concept of Repression in Trauma

• Repression: A defense mechanism to keep traumatic memories hidden
• The Ego pushes disturbing content into the unconscious
• Repressed thoughts manifest indirectly (dreams, slips of the tongue)
• Trauma resurfaces when repression fails
• Freud believed therapy aims to make the unconscious conscious

Key terms: Repression, Catharsis

Freud’s Theory of Transference and Countertransference

• Transference: Client projects feelings towards therapist
• Originates from early relationships (often parental)
• Countertransference: Therapist's reaction to client
• Integral part of psychodynamic therapy
• Facilitates understanding of unconscious patterns

Key terms: Transference, Countertransference

The Concept of Cathexis and Anticathexis

• Cathexis: Mental energy invested in an idea or object
• Anticathexis: Energy used by the ego to control these impulses
• Reflects mental conflict between desires and reality
• Links to Freud’s structural model (Id and Ego)
• Helps explain repression and defense mechanisms

Key terms: Cathexis, Anticathexis

References

• Freud, S. (1900) The Interpretation of Dreams. Leipzig: Franz Deuticke.
• Schultz, D.P., & Schultz, S.E. (2015) Theories of Personality. 11th edn. Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing.
• Freud, S. (1915) The Unconscious. Standard Edition, Vol. 14. London: Hogarth Press.
• Eysenck, M.W. (2012) Simply Psychology. 12th edn. London: Routledge.
• Freud, S. (1923) The Ego and the Id. Standard Edition, Vol. 19. London: Hogarth Press.
• Burger, J.M. (2018) Personality. 10th edn. Boston: Cengage Learning.
• Freud, S. (1905) Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality. Standard Edition, Vol. 7. London: Hogarth Press.
• Freud, S. (1936) The Problem of Anxiety. New York: Norton.
• Baumeister, R.F. et al. (1998) ‘Ego depletion: Is the active self a limited resource?’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(5), pp. 1252–1265.
• Freud, S. (1900) The Interpretation of Dreams. 3rd edn. London: Macmillan.
• Hill, C.E. (2004) Dream Work in Therapy: Facilitating Exploration, Insight, and Action. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Freud, S. (1923) The Ego and the Id. New York: International Press.
• Rycroft, C. (1979) A Critical Dictionary of Psychoanalysis. London: Penguin Books.
• Freud, S. (1923) The Ego and the Id. London: International Psychoanalytical Press.
• Hall, C.S. (1954) A Primer of Freudian Psychology. New York: Mentor Books.
• Freud, S. (1933) New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
• McDougall, J. (1989) Theaters of the Mind: Illusion and Truth on the Psychoanalytic Stage. London: Free Association Books.
• Freud, S. (1896) 'The Aetiology of Hysteria', Standard Edition of the Complete Works of Sigmund Freud. London: Hogarth Press.
• Brewin, C.R. (2001) 'Memory Processes in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder', International Review of Psychiatry, 13(3), pp. 159–171.
• Freud, S. (1912). ‘On the Dynamics of Transference.’ Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis.