For the cultural immersion project I chose the culture of Scientology. Scientology is the belief that a person knows what is best for them and can discover their truth by using various exercises to unlock information that is stored in the unconscious. The reason why I was interested in learning about Scientology is because I have heard a lot about it in the media and was curious to find out more about the topic. I did not know what to expect going into the experience. I have learned a lot about Scientology as a result of the immersion. I also learned a lot about how I interact with new experiences by observing my reactions to new information. To learn more about Scientology I sat down with a man named Billy.
Prior to talking to Billy
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Billy was very excited to talk about the subject of Scientology. He explained that the best way to learn about Scientology was to read a book on the subject. He voiced that the main reason people don’t access information is due to misunderstanding of symbols and words. According to Billy misunderstood words cause various physiological responses in the body. Additionally, Billy said many times people cannot actualize their full potential because of traumatic events that are stored in the body. I found my mind was constantly making connections to information that I had stored as a way to understand the new information. For example, when he discussed the stored trauma my mind went to epigenetics. I brought this up to Billy but he hadn’t heard anything about it. It is a natural response to make connections to previous information as a way to retain new information, but as a counselor I will want to be careful that I am not biasing the new culture with previously learned information. It will be helpful for my client and I if I keep and open mind and try to understand it from the client’s point of view rather than trying to make the information fit my …show more content…
These concepts are understood through the idea of Dianetics. Dianetics is structured as a pyramid. The “self” is the viewed as the most important in the structure. Moving down the next tier is sexual connection as means to procreation. The third tier is dedicated to groups such as families, friends, sports etc. At the bottom is all mankind. As a counselor knowing the structure of Dianetics will help me to gain an understanding of how the client views themselves within the context of their world. When Billy told me about the structure I was judging it based on how I think society is structured. Billy continually expressed that the trauma a person experiences keeps them from reaching their full potential. Billy voiced that through Scientology people can release these traumas and ultimately receive information from a universal source. Part of the information that can be received is memories from past
Psychoanalysis teaches that who you are is set in stone. There may be ways of coping with the depression you face, the anger you wrestle with, and the difficulty in relating to others that you struggle with; but in the end, these flaws are a part of you, there is no removing them. Psychoanalysis teaches that while you were young, while you were weak, while you were impressionable, these flaws were formed, rooted, set in you. Christianity has one message, a message of hope, a hope formed in the fact that, as Paul joyfully proclaims in Romans: “while we were still weak…God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
...nts changes, that person’s self changes. The victim of the trauma must regain control over their life through the cooperation of others. In this way, the autonomy connects to the dependence of the victim on those around them. The dependence on others to be autonomous gets destroyed when the victim is traumatized; they lose their trust in those around them and they lose their ability to connect with humanity. Related to the idea of the narrative self, the autonomous person that existed before the trauma dies and the new self must become autonomous through narration to others. In this way, the self as an independent, the self as dependent on others, and the self as the physical being are integrated with one another and cannot be divided. Just as a self cannot exist without the context of its society, society cannot be without the selves that constitute its existence.
“Exiles are the highly vulnerable, sensitive parts of us that were most hurt by emotional injuries in the past.” Thereby, people attempt to disconnect from these painful emotions and memories in order to never experience them again. This leads to other inner entities becoming managers of those emotions. For example, a child that was abused by a family member in the middle of the night in their bedroom may as an adult be taken back to their sense of fear when their partner mistakenly awakens them in the middle of the night. Their managers would be activated to control the environment and suppress their feelings. However, “When the managers fail to control the exiled emotions, extreme behaviors emerge, such as addictions, binges, rages and anger, and Schwartz refers to them as firefighters.” This is where a conflict between married couples can emerge requiring intervention. The husband has no idea what his wife is feeling in that moment and believes her reaction or requirements are unrealistic. Yet through IFS therapy, the care seekers can come to acknowledge the real emotion at hand and as Schwarts says, “They stop berating themselves and instead, get to know, rather than try to eliminate, the extreme inner voices or emotions that have plagued them.” By addressing these emotions, clients can learn to lead themselves and see their
Toseland & Rivas (2009) expressed how the psychodynamic theory focuses primarily on the individual, group members act out in the group unresolved conflicts from early life experiences (p.59). The group focused on past life experiences while exploring the cognitive moral reasoning behind their actions and how to cope positively from the injustices that occurred. As we divulged into heavy topics some group members enforced defense mechanisms that had formed earlier in their lives. Thus, the Social Worker and I had to link group members past behaviors to their current ones to help them solve conflict and hinderances in their behavior and positive way of thinking. Overall, the members of the group progressed tremendously from their negative coping behaviors. The treatment group has increased their self-confidence on their ability to persevere after enduring trauma and substance abuse issues. They have also gained a deeper respect for one another, and created a positive social support group outside of the treatment group
The theory of psychoanalysis, founded by Freud, asserted that people could be cured by “…making conscious their unconscious thoughts and motivations…”, therefore gaining insight into their behavior and state of being (CITE). The aim of psychoanalytic therapy is to release repressed emotions and experiences, because Freud believed that psychological problems are rooted in the unconscious mind. In certain cases, individuals would have manifested symptoms caused by “…latent…”, or hidden disturbances (CITE). Typical causes could include unresolved issues during development or as a result of repressed trauma. Those who practice psychoanalysis believe that only with a cathartic experience can be the person be helped and therefore cured. In other words, , Freud’s treatment focused on bringing the repressed conflict to consciousness, where the patent then could wo...
In the industrial age before World War II, when individual psychotherapy was born and thrived, human beings were essentially seen as machines, with broken parts—including the mind—that could be repaired; after World War II, the dawning information technology age brought a paradigm shift in the view of human life from mechanical to relational, and communication and systems theories provided family therapy with increased validity and prominence. (White, 2009, pp. 200-201). The modern family systems theories that grew out of this paradigm viewed families narrowly as functional or dysfunctional according to the delineation of each theory. Today, postmodern theory suggests that no absolute truth governs individuals or families; instead, people are
Psychodynamic therapy, focuses on unconscious mind and how past experiences, inner thoughts, fears, and emotions The main goal of psychodynamic therapy is for clients to be self-aware of the past and how it effects who they are in the present. This type of therapy focuses on the underlying problems and emotions that influenced the client’s behavior. (Psych Central, 2016)
them that force different relationships with their mind, body, and soul after a new event
The psychodynamics theory which was introduced by Freud to understand the human mind and psyche, reached a new level in the continuous analysis from therapists. Psychodynamics originally has been explained as a study of various psychological forces that affect human behavior which is related to early experiences. It specifically discusses the connection between the conscious and subconscious motivations. The theory was further analyzed and developed by Melanie Klein, Carl Jung and Alfred Adler. Based on the theory, the psychodynamic therapy evolved to help patients through psychoanalysis. With time other therapies like individual, group and family therapy evolved to offer treatment by understanding the present day complexities in more detail. The main aim of the therapy is self –awareness through identifying the various influences of many past events in life. The therapies are continuously evolving since it was introduced by Freud to help in solving a variety of psychological disorders within people.
The psychodynamic approach lends itself to being a controversial yet highly influential theory in the history of psychology. The theory has become one of the most significant psychological approaches and its originator, Sigmund Freud, has become a major influence in modern psychology. The psychodynamic approach largely focuses on motivation and past experiences which develop and individual’s personality. Freud used the iceberg metaphor to outline the three states of consciousness and argued that only twenty percent of the mind represents the conscious. In addition he theorised that there was a pre-conscious mind which represents general memory. Finally, the unconscious mind which is essentially the reservoir of repressed or hidden experiences and desire.
The bio-psycho-social-spiritual model is very important in the world of Psychopathology. Psychopathology refers to a dysfunction in the mind of an individual (Abercrombie, 2013). The bio-psycho-social-spiritual model covers all the different areas that could factor into a mental disorder. The causes can be any combination of biological, psychological, social, or spiritual factors. The mind is a very complex thing that we, as humans, cannot even begin to comprehend. Often in class, we find ourselves talking about the “fine line”. This line is referring to the very small difference between what society considers “normal” and “not normal”. One quote I like that shows why it is hard to figure out the difference says, “The concept of physical illness
However, Freud’s theory was centered on psychosexual stages, Erikson’s theory elaborates on the effects of social experiences across an individual’s life span. Erikson’s psychosocial stages is divided into eight stages: Stage 1 – Trust vs. mistrust, Stage 2 – Autonomy vs. shame and doubt, Stage 3 – Initiative vs. guilt, Stage 4 – Industry vs. inferiority, Stage 5 – Identity vs. role confusion, Stage 6 – Intimacy vs. isolation, Stage 7 – Generativity vs. stagnation and Stage 8 – Integrity vs.
There have been many theorist in psychology such as Erik Erickson, Gordon Allport, and Raymond Cattell, among others. They have all made significant contributions to psychology and understanding human behavior. However, two theorist have distinguished themselves over the rest of them. Sigmund Freud is known as the father of psychoanalysis. He developed numerous theories to facilitate the understanding of the different stages humans go through. As well as Freud, Karen Horney also created her own theories. Her theories were relatively similar to Freud’s, however, they also have their differences. It is essential to have general knowledge of their background and to understand both of their theories before we begin contrasting them.
Personality is an individual’s characteristic pattern of feeling, thinking and acting. Psychodynamic theories of personality view human behavior as a dynamic interaction between the conscious mind and unconscious mind, including associated motives and conflicts (Myers & Dewall, pg# 572, 2015). These theories focus on the unconscious and the importance of childhood experiences. Psychodynamic theories are descended from Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis, which is his ideology of personality and the associated treatment techniques. Psychoanalysis attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts. This theory also includes the techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions. He proposed that childhood sexuality and unconscious motivations influence personality. Freud’s historically significant psychoanalytic theory became part of the human cultural legacy.
Sigmund Freud was one of the trailblazers of modern-day psychology. After several years of clinical practice, Sigmund Freud became concern about finding a new way to cure his patients. He developed a new way of treatment, the psychoanalytic therapy based on the existence of the unconscious. According to his theory, our behavior is driven by sexual and destructive feelings. Freud mentions in his psychoanalytical theory of personality there are five stages of psychosexual stages structure of personality. However, the three main elements of a personality are id, ego and superego, which come together to generate intricate human behavior. The three essential parts of human psyche are listed below.