Psychoanalytic Therapy

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What will be the goals of counseling and what intervention strategies are used to accomplish those goals? From a psychoanalytic perspective, the goal of counseling is to bring unconscious information to the conscious and strengthen the ego by bringing forth the clients energy to conscious processes (Murdock, 2013). Rasmussen & Salhani (2010) states the following regarding the goal of psychoanalytic theory which further supports Murdock’s statement, “we turn to psychoanalytic theory to understand not only the individual’s conscious, rational thinking, but also the unconscious dynamics and motivation” (Rasmussen & Salhani, 2010). The specific treatment goals for Ana is to uncover inner problems, promote client integration, uncover sources of …show more content…

Murdock (2013) identifies “free association” as being the best option for a successful therapeutic relationship (Murdock, 2013). Through the use of free association, the therapist encourages Ana to say what comes to mind regardless of the positive or negative emotions as means to open the mind to the unconscious. Strean (1944) identifies that all patients “respond to interventions in terms of transference” (Strean, 1944). With the key role transference plays in the therapeutic process it is important that Ana openly communicates and express her feelings. In doing so, it allows the therapist to interpret similar feeling and root causes. In psychoanalytic theory application, insight provides a look into the emotional and logical thought process (Strean, 1944). The goal through insight is to uncover how Ana’s depression and worries were formed, how they affect her and provide her with the opportunity to deal with these …show more content…

The therapist would then interpret this information, which consists of teaching, pointing out and explaining what the therapist is noticing through this free association (Corey, 2013). One of the key factors in a therapeutic process is the client-therapist relationship. Without this relationship, transference cannot be assessed. Is your theory designed for short- or long-term counseling? Murdock (2013) identifies that psychoanalytic therapy is designed for long-term counseling. Freud often recommended a two-week trial period to ensure that a client is suitable for analysis (Murdock, 2013). Ana’s insurance has approved 8 sessions, which does not allow this theory to fully be supported. What will be the counselor’s role with this client? In psychoanalysis the therapist takes on the role of the expert, listening and interpreting Ana’s free associations from her unconscious process. The therapist role is to discover what is real and what is not real. The therapist is not to have an agenda and to remain passive and only engage when interpreting something Ana has stated (Murdock,

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