The psychodynamic approach to counseling originated from Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis. It aims to help clients gain insight into the underlying reasons for their problems and develop the capacity to better cope with difficulties. Key concepts include Freud's structural model of the id, ego, and superego, as well as his psychosexual stages of development. Defense mechanisms like repression and rationalization are used by the ego to reduce anxiety. Techniques include dream analysis, free association, and analysis of transference. Post-Freudian theorists expanded on object relations and attachment theory. Criticisms note its historically male-centered perspectives and lengthy treatment requirements.

2. Psychodynamic
Approach to
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By
Saira Hossain

3. Origin
❖Has its origin in
the ideas of
Sigmund Freud

4. Contd.
❑Freud’s method of treatment is called
psychoanalysis.
❑Psychodynamic counseling focused on anxiety-
related hysteria, disorders, depression, neuroses,
marital conflicts etc.

5. Aim
❖To help clients to achieve insight &
understanding around the reason for their
problem .
❖To translate this insight into a mature
capacity to cope with any future difficulties.

6. Basic Constructs and Concepts
❖Id, Ego, and Superego: The three parts of the
personality.
❖Ego Defense Mechanisms: Used by the ego to reduce
anxiety associated with threatening situations or
feelings.
❖Psychological problem occurs during disruption of the
developmental stages .

7. Id , Ego & Super ego
❖ Id
❖ Operates on the “pleasure principle”
❖ Immediate gratification
❖ Ego
❖ Operates on the “reality principle”
❖ Seeks to gratify id’s impulses in realistic ways that will bring
long-term pleasure rather than pain and destruction
❖ Superego
❖ Operates on the “ideal principle”
❖ What is morally correct

9. Mechanisms of Defense
1. Repression
2. Denial
3. Regression
4. Displacement
5. Reaction formation
6. Projection
7. Rationalization
5.Displacem

10. Contd.
▪ Repression :banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts
and feelings from consciousness
▪ Denial : refusing to accept that certain facts exist;
insisting that something is not true.
▪ Regression: Revert to a previous stage of
development.
▪ Displacement: Shifts sexual or aggressive impulses
toward a more acceptable or less threatening
object or person,

11. Contd..
▪ Reaction Formation : the ego unconsciously makes
unacceptable impulses look like their opposites.
▪ Projection :Repress one’s feelings and attribute
them to someone else.
▪ Rationalization : Channeling impulses on to
socially accepted medium.

12. Psychosexual Stages of Development
❑Oral Stage
❑Anal Stage
❑Phallic Stage
❑Latency Stage
❑Genital Stage

13. Oral Stage
❖About first 12-18 months of life
❖Infants seek & gain pleasure from the mouth
❖Focus: sucking, biting, chewing etc.
❖ Fixation causes - Nail biters, pencil chewers,
thumb suckers, chain smokers etc.

15. Anal Stage
❖Approx. 18 months to three years of age
❖Fascination with bodily function.
❖Focus : Anal region, eliminating & retaining feces
❖ Fixation causes due to inappropriate Toilet-
training
❖ “Anal retentive” – obsessed with tidiness
❖ “Anal expulsive” – messy & disorganized

17. Phallic Stage
❖Approx. 3-6 yrs of age
❖Child’s energy focuses on genitals.
❖Penis Envy
❖Castration anxiety
❖Fixation causes oedipus or electra complex

18. Latency
❖Approx. 6-12 yrs of age.
❖Focuses on spending time with people of the same
sex.
❖Sexual instincts die down & superego develops.
❖Child acquire new social values from adult,
outside the family & play from peer.

19. Genital Stage
❖Puberty to Adulthood
❖Sexual desires come back to the fore front.
❖Successful development in the earlier stage leads
to mature sexuality,, marriage & the birth &rearing
of children.

20. Techniques used in Psychodynamic
Therapy
❑Transference
❑Free Association
❑Dream Analysis
❑Interpretation
❑Analysis of Resistance
❑Others

21. Transference
❑Client’s feelings are directed toward the therapist
as though the therapist were the source of the
feelings instead of someone from the client’s past.
❑Therapist as a blank screen
❑To become aware of this projection.

22. Free Association
❖Saying whatever comes to mind,usually lying in a
relaxed position.
❖No matter how trivial or embarrassing.

23. Dream Analysis
❖ Dream is wish fulfillment & have 2 component.
✓ Manifest Content- Incorporates traces of previous days’
experiences and preoccupations.
✓ Latent Content- Censored symbolic version-consists of
unconscious drives and wishes that may be threatening if
expressed directly.

24. Interpretation
❖To generate meaning from transference, free
association, dreams etc.
❖Issues while making interpretation-
✓Is the timing right?
✓Is the interpretation correct?
✓Can the interpretation be phrased in such a way
that the client will understand it?

25. Others :
❑Use of toys & plays.
❑Use of art, sculpture, poetry.
❑Use of projective Techniques e.g.
➢TAT
➢Rorschach Inkblot Test

26. TAT

27. Rorschach Inkblot Test

28. Post Freudian Evolution
❖Object relations theories
❖British Independents
❖Bowl by's Attachment Theory

29. Object Relation Theory
❑Originator : Melanie Klein
❑Conflict & anxieties felt by children arose from
their relationship with human objects rather than
sexual impulses.
❑Mother represented as the ‘part-object’ of breast in
the first month to child

31. Contd.
❑Paranoid-schizoid -
✓Fundamental insecurity evoked by the feelings of
bad.
✓During the first few month of baby
✓Perceive mother as a whole object rather than part
✓Splitting experience began to resolved

32. Contd..
❑Depressive reaction
✓Deep sense of disappointment & anger.
✓Sense of guilt.
❑Self vs rest of the world
Inability to differentiate between what is self &
what is rest of the world

33. Application of Object Relation in
Psychodynamic Therapy
❑Make aware the client about Splitting
❑Projective Identification –
✓ a process of emotional defense that is
interpersonal rather than intrapersonal .
✓Client’s problem rooted in relationships

34. British Independent
▪ Middle group between kleinians & anna freud.
▪ Independent mind
▪ Kohon & Rayner
▪ Counter transference: when the therapist feelings
are placed on the client .

35. John Bowlby’s Theory of attachment
❖ Stresses the importance of the child developing in relation
to context and environment.
❖ The child impacts the environment and the environment
impacts the child.
❖ Psychoanalyst focuses on attachment to understand
development
ble to successfully separate and individuate

36. Multi cultural Issues & psychodynamic counseling
❖ It has received a lot of criticism from women and minority groups
because it tends to be seen as male and elitist.
❖ Its beginning had sexist concepts such as “penis envy.”
❖ Historically, patriarchy, domination and lengthy treatment hold to
oppressive views and patronage by only the wealthy.
❖ Insight is not a highly valued concept in many cultures or lower
socioeconomic statuses.

37. Own interpretation:
❖ May falsifiable!
❖ Generalizing from experiences of a few
❖ A typical patients
❖ Based the memories of patients
❖ Might be tempting to do too much analysis and not
enough working toward change.
❖ transference and counter transference can be hard to deal
with without training and awareness.

38. Thank you you

39. Questions if any ?