• The father of

psychodynamic theory
and psychoanalytic
therapy was Sigmund
Freud (1856–1939)
• The psychodynamic model is the oldest and most
famous psychological model.

• It is based on the belief that a person’s behavior

(whether normal or abnormal) is determined largely
by underlying dynamic—that is, interacting—
psychological forces of which he or she is not aware.

• Abnormal symptoms are the result of conflict among

these forces
• Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis was the original
psychodynamic theory, but the psychodynamic
approach as a whole includes all theories that were
based on his ideas, e.g., Carl Jung (1912), Melanie
Klein (1921), Alfred Adler (1927), Anna
Freud (1936), and Erik Erikson (1950).
Basic assumptions of
psychodynamic theory
1. Our behavior and feelings are powerfully affected
by unconscious motives.

• The unconscious mind comprises mental processes that are

inaccessible to consciousness but that influence judgments,
feelings, or behavior.
• According to Freud (1915), the unconscious mind is the primary
source of human behavior. Like an iceberg, the most important
part of the mind is the part you cannot see.
• Our feelings, motives, and decisions are actually powerfully
influenced by our past experiences, and stored in the
unconscious.
2. Our behavior and feelings as adults (including
psychological problems) are rooted in our childhood
experiences.

• Psychodynamic theory states that events our childhood have a

great influence on our adult lives, shaping our personality.
• Events that occur in childhood can remain in the unconscious,
and cause problems as adults.
• Personality is shaped as the drives are modified by different
conflicts at different times in childhood (during psychosexual
development).
 Freud proposed that humans must negotiate five stages
of psychosexual development in their journeys to
adulthood a. These stages include:

• (a) Oral (0 to 18 months of age)

• (b) Anal (18 months to 3 years of age)
• (c) Phallic (3 to 5 years of age)
• (d) Latent (5 to 12 years of age)
• (e) Genital (12 years of age to adulthood).
 .

3. All behavior has a cause (usually

unconscious), even slips of the tongue.
Therefore all behavior is determined.

• Freud believed that slips of the tongue

provided an insight into the unconscious
mind and that there were no accidents, every
behavior (including slips of the tongue) was
significant (i.e., all behavior is determined).
• Psychodynamic theory is strongly determinist as it views our
behavior as caused entirely by unconscious factors over which
we have no control. That means behaviour is caused by some
past events or experience.

• Unconscious thoughts and feelings can transfer to the

conscious mind in the form of parapraxes, popularly known
as Freudian slips or slips of the tongue. We reveal what is
really on our mind by saying something we didn't mean to.
• Freud believed that slips of the tongue provided an insight into
the unconscious mind and that there were no accidents, every
behavior (including slips of the tongue) was significant (i.e.,
all behavior is determined).
4. Personality is made up of three parts (i.e.,
tripartite): the id, ego, and super-ego.
• The id, guided by the Pleasure Principle, comprises instinctual
needs, drives, and impulses; it is sexual and fueled by libido
(sexual energy).

• The id is the most basic part of the personality. It also

represents our most animalistic urges, like the desire for food
and sex. The id seeks instant gratification for our wants and
needs. If these needs or wants are not met, a person can
become tense, anxious, or angry.
• A hungry baby cried until he was fed.
 The ego

• It deals with reality. This may mean delaying gratification and

helping to get rid of the tension the id feels if a desire is not
met right away.

• The ego recognizes that other people have needs and wants
too, and being selfish isn't good in the long run.

• The ego develops in order to mediate between the unrealistic

id and the external real world. It is the decision making
component of personality.
• The superego develops last, and is based on morals and
judgments about right and wrong.

• Even though the superego and the ego may reach the same
decision about something, the superego's reason for that
decision is based more on moral values, while the ego's
decision is based more on what others will think or what the
consequences of an action could be on the individual.

• The superego incorporates the values and morals of society

which are learned from one's parents and others.
• A healthy personality is one in which an effective working
relationship, an acceptable compromise, has formed among the
three forces.

• If the id, ego, and superego are in excessive conflict, the

person’s behavior may show signs of dysfunction.

• The id, ego and superego work together to create human

behavior. The id creates the demands, the ego adds the needs
of reality, and the superego adds morality to the action which
is taken.
• Ego defense mechanisms protect us from anxiety.
• Defense mechanisms are psychological strategies that are
unconsciously used to protect a person from anxiety arising
from unacceptable thoughts or feelings.
• Defense mechanisms are behaviors people use to separate
themselves from unpleasant events, actions, or thoughts. These
psychological strategies may help people put distance between
themselves and threats or unwanted feelings, such as guilt or
shame.
 Denial

• Denial is one of the most common defense mechanisms. It

occurs when you refuse to accept reality or facts. You block
external events or circumstances from your mind so that you
don’t have to deal with the emotional impact. In other words,
you avoid the painful feelings or events.
 Repression
• Unsavory thoughts, painful memories, or irrational beliefs can
upset you. Instead of facing them, you may unconsciously
choose to hide them in hopes of forgetting about them entirely.
• That does not mean, however, that the memories disappear
entirely. They may influence behaviors, and they may impact
future relationships. You just may not realize the impact this
defense mechanism is having.
 Projection

• Some thoughts or feelings you have about another person may

make you uncomfortable. If you project those feelings, you’re
misattributing them to the other person.

• For example, you may dislike your new co-worker, but instead
of accepting that, you choose to tell yourself that they dislike
you. You see in their actions the things you wish you could do
or say.
• Displacement

• You direct strong emotions and frustrations toward a person or

object that doesn’t feel threatening. This allows you to satisfy
an impulse to react, but you don’t risk significant
consequences.

• A good example of this defense mechanism is getting angry at

your child or spouse because you had a bad day at work.
Neither of these people is the target of your strong emotions,
but reacting to them is likely less problematic than reacting to
your boss.
• Regression
• Some people who feel threatened or anxious may
unconsciously “escape” to an earlier stage of development.
• This type of defense mechanism may be most obvious in
young children. If they experience trauma or loss, they may
suddenly act as if they’re younger again.
• Adults can regress, too. Adults who are struggling to cope with
events or behaviors may return to sleeping with a cherished
stuffed animal, overeat foods they find comforting, or begin
chain smoking or chewing on pencils or pens. They may also
avoid everyday activities because they feel overwhelming.
 Rationalization

• Some people may attempt to explain undesirable behaviors

with their own set of “facts.” This allows you to feel
comfortable with the choice you made, even if you know on
another level it’s not right.
• Sublimation

• This type of defense mechanism is considered a positive

strategy. That’s because people who rely on it choose to
redirect strong emotions or feelings into an object or activity
that is appropriate and safe.

• For example, instead of lashing out at your employees, you

choose to channel your frustration into kickboxing or exercise.
You could also funnel or redirect the feelings into music, art,
or sports.
PSYCHODYNAMIC THERAPIES
• These therapies range from Freudian psychoanalysis
to more modern therapies
• All psychodynamic therapies seek to uncover past
trauma and inner conflicts and believe that an
understanding of early life experience is critically
important
• The therapist acts as a “subtle guide”
• Psychodynamic therapy focuses on unconscious processes as
they are manifested in the client's present behavior.

• The goals of psychodynamic therapy are client self-awareness

and understanding of the influence of the past on present
behavior. In its brief form, a psychodynamic approach enables
the client to examine unresolved conflicts and symptoms that
arise from past dysfunctional relationships and manifest
themselves in the need and desire to abuse substances.
• Several different approaches to brief psychodynamic
psychotherapy have evolved from psychoanalytic theory and
have been clinically applied to a wide range of psychological
disorders.
 Psychodynamic therapists
utilize various techniques,
including:

• Free association—A
technique in which the
patient describes any
thought, feeling, or image
that comes to mind, even
if it seems unimportant or
irrelevant
• Sigmunf freud was the person who developed free association.

• He planned on using it as a new method for exploring

the unconscious.

• That means to discover unconscious thoughts and feelings that

had been repressed or ignored. When his patients became
aware of these unconscious thoughts or feelings, they were
better able to manage them or change problematic behaviors.
• Freud proposed the technique helped prevent three
common issues in therapy:
• Transference. The process of transferring feelings one
has for one person to a different person.
• Projection. The process of projecting one’s own qualities
onto someone else.
• Resistance. The practice of blocking out certain feelings
or memories.
• Catharsis—The
reliving of past
repressed feelings in
order to settle internal
conflicts and overcome
problems.
• Catharsis is often an integral component of therapy that
addresses repressed memories, and the phenomenon often
occurs while under hypnosis. In previous generations,
psychoanalytic mental health practitioners used catharsis to
treat symptoms associated with what Freud called hysteria.
• Working through—The process of facing conflicts,
reinterpreting feelings, and overcoming one’s
problems
• Contemporary psychodynamic therapists also may
use short-term dynamic or relational psychoanalytic
approaches to therapy rather than more traditional
longer/intense psychoanalysis.
 Assessing the psychodynamic
model
Strengths of the model:
• The psychodynamic model was the first to recognize the
importance of psychological theories and treatment
• This model described abnormal functioning as rooted in
the same processes as normal functioning
• Proponents of this model were the first to apply theory
and techniques systematically to treatment, a practice that
had a monumental impact on the field
 Weaknesses of the model:

• The ideas proposed by the model largely are

unsupported and difficult or impossible to research

• The model addresses components of functioning that

are non-observable and inaccessible to human
subjects (unconscious)