They are genuine feelings based on the self's interactions with the environment and the people in it, at different points in time. Freud, in his psychoanalytic theory, regarded counter-transference as a “block” that can hinder therapy and the therapeutic relationship which may occur when the patient triggers certain feelings or reactions in the therapist based on the therapist’s past experiences and relationships (Winnicott, 1994). Another form of counter-transference, termed ‘projective-identification by Melanie Klein, occurs when “parts of the self and internal objects are split off and projected into the external object, which then becomes possessed by, controlled and identified with the projected parts” (Segal, 1974). A third type of counter-transference which is also the one I choose to base my paper on is a different kind of counter-transference; a more totalistic, objective form, referred to first by Winnicott in his paper “Hate in the Counter-transference”. Winnicott describes it as “an understandable and ‘normal’ reaction to the patient’s actual personality and behavior” which he ten
Individuals do this to make the pain go away which ultimately they really just defense mechanisms (Gottdiener, Murawski, & Kucharski, 2008). “According to psychoanalytic conflict theory, defense mechanisms are activated when the individual experiences any form of displeasure, especially anxiety or depressive affect” (Brenner, 1982). Failures of ego control are related to individuals with substance use disorders. “Ego control refers to the efforts of the individual to control thoughts, emotions, impulses and ability to perform tasks and attention processes” (Baumeister & Vohs, 2004, p. 2). The article also addresses the result of consistent failures in ego control.
Psychoanalytical theories of personality stress the individual’s unconscious motivations which can be identified through dreams, slips of the tongue and fantasies (McCrae & Costa, 2003; 21). “The psychoanalytical theory views personality as biologically based, relatively unchangeable and determined by the need to control sexual and aggressive instincts which are unconscious in nature” (Rust & Golombok, 1989, 131). Sigmund Freud was the founder of the psychoanalytical approach to personality although many academics have expounded on his research since then (Bernstein, 2001; 125). This contrasts with the humanistic theory which was adopted by leading 20th Century psychologists Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow (Nicholas, 2008; 226). Robert Ewen suggests that
Once individuals care only about themselves, then eroticism become a restless desire for pleasure. This is because there is a disconnect from the desire to have a lasting, intense, and intimate bond with someone else. I would have to agree with Ricoeur’s analysis here; he is laying out the idea that when eroticism is hand cuffed with other aspects of a healthy relationship it can become a sensual component of sexuality, as long as it is not the dominant force in the relationship. When eroticism is the main goal of an individual “an egoistic cultivation of pleasure wins over mutual exchange.” (pp.207) I believe this is a major reason for our divorce rate in America. People are more concerned with their own pleasures and therefore succumb to the egoistic cultivation of eroticism.
The strength approach emerge by challenging the language and the ideology in mental health practice which focused on the clients’ inabilities and deficits and not on what the clients could do, referring to clients by their diagnose, for example “the schizophrenic” or the maniac-depressive” (Healy, 2005). Berta Capen Reynolds together with Erving Goffman’s work on stigma, labelling and marginalization and Dennis Saleebey work in resilience, played an important part in developing the strengths perspective. According to Saleebey, the key concepts for this theory are assisting
In The Myth of Mental Illness, Szasz argues that mental illnesses do not exist. However, he does say that the occurrences that are placed under this label are real. Szasz is concerned with the label given to them and how it affects the way in which these occurrences are dealt with. After reading his essay, I tend to agree with this concept that Szasz presents. A myth is unconsciously created by and believed by many people and is usually told to explain an occurrence.
PHILOSOPHICAL PRINCIPLES & KEY CONCEPTS Aaron T. Beck developed his approach known as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy as a result of his work and observations with depressed clients. C.B.T. is based on fundamental assumptions that our thoughts can and do determine how we feel and behave in relation to events in our everyday lives and our environment. Beck contends that psychological problems or dysfunctional behaviour can occur as a result of faulty or distorted thinking and through engaging and employing C.B.T. techniques we can change or modify the way we think, to cause us to feel and act better even if our external situations and events do not change.
The idea behind this was to use 'talking therapy' to bring past memories from the unconscious to the conscious. The unconscious is when you are doing or thinking something without being alert or aware that you are doing it. Along the idea of the unconscious Freud also developed the concept of the ID, the Ego and the Superego. The id is described as an impulsive, selfish side to our personality which is ruled by a pleasure principle, the superego is the moral part of our personality which recognises right from wrong; and our ego is the part of our mind which tries to rationalise and arbitrate both sides of our thoughts. Freud believed that there were two main causes of abnormality in general.
The superego aims to suppress the impulses of the id and aims at “persuading the ego to turn to moralistic goals rather than simply realistic ones and to strive for perfection” (McLeod 1). However, when the id and the superego are in constant disharmony, the ego is presented with stress induced anxiety. To combat this influx of anxiety, the ego has developed defensive mechanisms. The most prominent defensive mechanism which was coined by Sigmund Freud is the concept of Denial. Denial, according to David Straker, is “simply refusing to acknowledge that an event has occurred” (2).
Consequently, the author contends that psychoanalysis is indeed a "great" idea in personality. As a therapy, psychoanalysis is based on the concept that individuals are unaware of the many factors that cause their behavior and emotions. These unconscious factors have the potential to produce unhappiness, which in turn is expressed through a score of distinguishable symptoms, including disturbing personality traits, difficulty in relating to others, or disturbances in self-esteem or general disposition (American Psychoanalytic Association, 1998). Psychoanalytic treatment is highly individualized and seeks to show how the unconscious factors affect behavior patterns, relationships, and overall mental health. Treatment traces the unconscious factors to their origins, shows how they have evolved and developed over the course of many years, and subsequently helps individuals to overcome the challenges they face in life (National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis, 1998).