Outline and Evaluate the Psychodynamic Therapies

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The therapies based on the psychodynamic approach are dream analysis, free association and projective tests. They aim to uncover parts of the unconscious mind, and as its brought forward, to help the client deal with and accept these unconscious thoughts and desires. Dream analysis involves the client keeping a record of their dreams to then discuss them with their therapist. The therapist then analyses these dreams on the basis that everything in your dreams has a manifest and latent meaning, and that imagery in dreams comes from our unconscious minds. For example, a therapist may long pointy objects in a dream latent meaning is related to male genitalia. Free association involves the client relaxing and saying whatever comes to mind, without censoring anything they think of. Depending on the kind of words that are said, reflects imagery being projected by the unconscious mind, trying to portray any unconscious desires, thoughts and troubles. Projective tests involves the client being shown a series of pictures or inkblots by the therapist, and the client then says what they first see in the pictures, whether it be single words, phrases or stories being told. The clients’ interpretation of the pictures can possibly indicate unconscious desires, thoughts and troubles, much like with free association. Psychodynamic therapies work more effectively for different mental disorders and the effectiveness of these methods has often been questioned. For example, psychodynamic therapies are mainly only effective for neurotic disorders. For examples, the use of psychodynamic therapies to effectively treat mental illness would be with clients who have a moderate anxiety disorder, as it can give the client an understanding of what is causing their distress and anxiety issues, but non effective use for it would be using it to treat mental disorders such as schizophrenia, as

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