Psychodynamic

Counselling
Jedalyn M. Landrito, LPT
Psychodynamic counselling initially evolved from
Sigmund Freud’s theories on the unconscious, the
importance of formative childhood experiences and
relationships, and the use of dreams and metaphors as a
meaning of understanding the human psyche.
Psychodynamic therapy is primarily used to treat depression and
other serious psychological disorders, especially in those who have
lost meaning in their lives and have difficulty forming or
maintaining personal relationships.

Studies have found that other effective applications of

psychodynamic therapy include addiction, social anxiety disorder,
and eating disorders.
 role of the unconscious

structure of personality

psychosexual stages of development

Key concepts of
importance of the past and
Psychodynamic  childhood experience

use of ego defense mechanisms

transference and the nature of the

therapeutic relationship
skills used in psychodynamic
counselling
 The role of the unconscious

• It is a fundamental concept of psychodynamic.

• Human mind is referred to as a ‘topographical model’
and includes three dimensions: the unconscious, the
pre-conscious and the conscious.
 Topographical Structural model of
model personality

Unconscious ID

Conscious EGO

SUPEREGO
The structure of Personality
 The ID
The id is the impulsive and unconscious part of our psyche
which responds directly and immediately to basic urges,
needs, and desires.
The EGO
• The part of the mind
that mediates between
the conscious and the
unconscious
It is the decision-
making component of
personality.
 The SUPEREGO
 The superego develops last, and is based on morals and
judgements  about right and wrong.

The superego's function is to control the id's impulses,

especially those which society forbids, such as sex and
aggression.
The psychosexual stages of
development
 One importance of Sigmund Freud's psychosexual
theory is the emphasis on early experiences in the
development of personality and as an influence on later
behavior.

 Each stage of development is marked by conflicts that

can help build growth or stifle development, depending
upon how they are resolved.
• This is the first phase of a child’s life – from birth
until about 18 months

• During the oral stage, the infant's primary source

of interaction occurs through the mouth.
• During the anal stage, the focus was on controlling bladder
and bowel movements.
• If parents are too strict or begin toilet training too early,
an anal-retentive personality develop.
• Liberal training, on the other hand, an anal expulsive
personality develop
• The primary focus of the libido is on the genitals.  

• The Oedipus complex describes these feelings of wanting to possess

the mother and the desire to replace the father.

• The term Electra complex has been used to describe a similar set of

feelings experienced by young girls.
• During this stage, children develop social skills, values and
relationships with peers and adults outside of the family.

•  Asexual activities like learning, hobbies, and social

relationships.
• According to Freud, this is when an individual begins to have
strong sexual interest in the opposite sex.

• The goal of this stage is to establish a balance between the

various life areas.
 The importance of the past
and childhood experience
One of the most important contributions to the psychodynamic approach is its focus on childhood
experience and the way this experience can influence adult life. In the latter part of the nineteenth
century, Freud (1896) decided that many adult problems originated from early childhood abuse. His
theory provoked disbelief and hostility and, in fact, this reaction was so pronounced that Freud felt
obliged to abandon his original idea. Later on he suggested that his patients may have been mistaken
in the memories they recounted. Perhaps what they thought were memories were, in fact, really
unconscious fantasies and wishes? This second idea led to Freud’s theory of the Oedipus complex
(Freud, 1900) and to his conviction that many of the experiences people discuss in therapy are
indicative of unconscious conflicts and wishes. Freud was effective, therefore, in drawing attention
to the signifi cance of early experience, even though he did seem to abandon his early, and we now
know, probably correct, conclusion. It is clear that many children do indeed suffer sexual and other
forms of abuse in childhood. Freud’s original discovery proved to be prophetic in a sense, and by
focusing on childhood experience he succeeded in bringing the subject to public awareness in a way
never achieved before. It is probably true to say that Freud started something, although he certainly
did not fi nish it. Ideas about child development and experience continue to evolve.
 The use of ego defense
mechanisms
• Defense mechanisms operate at an unconscious level, and all of us use them
occasionally.

• We use defense mechanisms to protect ourselves from feelings of anxiety or guilt,

which arise because we feel threatened, or because our id or superego becomes too
demanding.
 Repression

• Repression is a well known defense mechanism.

• It
is an unconscious blocking of unacceptable
thoughts, feelings and impulses.
 Denial
• Refusalto accept the reality or acknowledge a
threatening situation.
• If
a situation is just too much to handle, the person
may respond by refusing to perceive it or by denying
that it exist.
• It
helps to protect the person against anxiety and high
levels of stress.
 Rationalization
• Rationalization is a defense mechanism that involves
explaining an unacceptable behavior or feeling in a
rational or logical manner, avoiding the true reasons
for the behavior.
 Displacement
• Displacementis the redirection of an impulse (usually
aggression) onto a powerless substitute target.
• Displacement
occurs when the Id wants to do
something of which the Superego does not permit.
Sublimation
• Sublimation is similar to displacement, but takes
place when we manage to displace our
unacceptable emotions into behaviors which are
constructive and socially acceptable, rather than
destructive activities.
 Transference and the nature
of the therapeutic relationship
• It
is the redirection of feelings about a specific person
onto someone else.
• It
refers to the client’s emotional response to the
counsellor.
• Clientsmay ‘transfer’ to counsellors feelings that are
either positive or negative.
Positive Transference
• Whentransference feelings are positive, a client
may regard the counsellor as helpful and
understanding.
Negative Transference
• when transference feelings are negative, the client
may see the counsellor as unhelpful, perhaps
rejecting or even hostile.
 Skills used in psychodynamic
counselling
● establishing a contract
● listening
● observing
● clarifying
● giving reflective responses
● linking
● interpreting
 Establishing a contract
• Clients need to know the basic details of counsellor–client
contracts in advance.

• In psychodynamic counselling the client’s response to such a

contract has special significance.

• It is essential to establish clear boundaries with clients

The counsellor used the following skills:
• Listening
• observing
• Clarifying
• Linking
• Interpreting
• giving reflective responses and
• drawing attention to past events and present
behavior