Below you will find information on basic principles and techniques of Analytic Psychology, Individual Psychology, and Psychoanalysis.
When discussing psychodynamics and psychoanalytic techniques, its important to keep in mind that psychodynamics focuses on the study of psychological forces that cause human behavior, feelings and emotions, while psychoanalytic focuses on conflict between the conscious and unconscious. Psychodynamic therapy is similar to psychoanalytic therapy, which essentially is based on the idea that a person’s development is shaped by childhood events that are neglected. |
Analytic Psychology
Carl Jung is the creator the Analytic Psychology, also known as Jungian Therapy. Analytic Psychology believes a person’s behaviors come from both conscious and unconscious belies. The objective of this approach is not to make people content with their way of life and issues that they are facing, but to help them cope with the foreseeable pain and help the clients find stability between happiness and grief. An important part of Jungian therapy is to understand the relationship between the client, and their awareness, by bring elements of it into consciousness. Carl Jung believed that the personal unconscious is only the surface of a much more complex unconscious, which he referred to as the uncontrollable. Jungian Therapy is known as a “talking therapy,” however there are many methods used. This therapy is most successful if it is found on a basis of trust, and collaboration. Some common methods used are the Dream Analysis, Word Associations Test, and Creative Activities.
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Individual Psychology
Alfred Alder developed Individual Psychology. This type of therapy allows clinicians to focus on their clients as a “whole.” With this therapy, clients are able to discuss their childhood, and the their viewpoints and abilities that they inherited from their upbringing. Additionally, with this therapy clients are able to form a connection on how their attitudes, actions, and self-confidence plays into role with their family dynamics and social environment. Having a true understanding of the client, allows for the clinician to understand the true, core, issue. The goal of Individual therapy is to help a person comprehend how their beliefs get in the way of their day-to-day performance. Individual Therapy also helps people develop a more healthy existence. There are a variety of methods used as interventions to help people who seek out Individual Therapy. The book Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy discusses 3 specific interventions. The first is Catching Oneself, which consist of making the client aware of their repetitive faulty goals and thoughts. The second is Pushing the Button, which consist of helping clients become more aware of control they can have over their emotions, instead of allowing their emotions get the best of them. Lastly there is Spitting in the Clients Soup, which consist of recognizing hidden motivators behind the clients’ destructive behaviors.
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Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud developed psychoanalysis. With this type of therapy, the client must express their thoughts, known as “unconscious conflicts” which is essentially what is causing the problem. Once the thoughts are expressed, they are analyzed and interpreted. Psychoanalysis pursues to understand complexity. The goal of this type of treatment is to achieve balance between the id (holds all inherited systems/instincts) and the superego (internalizes rules and guidelines). While working on equilibrium of the id and the superego, the ego is created, which is known as the mediator and organizer. The aim with this therapy is to make the unconscious, conscious. The technique Free Association is often used when practicing psychoanalysis. Free Association allows the patient to talk about whatever is on their mind. With this technique, the clinician is to read off words (for example: relationship, school) and the client is to talk about whatever comes to mind first.
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