JOURNAL CRITIQUE 4

GC 303

Psychoanalytic
Theory
ROSVIE APPLE C. BUENAVENTUR
MAED- EDUC. MGT.
 ABSTRACT: 
Psychoanalytic theory is past-oriented, based on a disease model of pathology,
and focuses on the deficits of a person as a result of the influence of past early
childhood experiences on current functioning. In essence, psychoanalytic
therapy is a reconstruction of a client's past in the context of adult analysis.
Psychoanalytic theory and therapy were developed by Sigmund Freud in the late
19th century and have undergone many refinements since his work, coming to
its height of prominence in the 1960s. Although its validity is now largely
disputed and criticized, his examination of the development aspects of the
personality produced valuable insights into the personality structure and how
defense mechanisms are employed to balance the id and superego with the
perceived construct of reality, whereby a healthy state of consciousness is
maintained.
 INTRODUCTION:
Psychoanalytic therapy is one of the most well-known recovery
approaches, but it's still one of the most overlooked by mental health
 patients. The aim of this therapy is for patients to gain a greater
understanding of the unconscious forces that may be at work in their
current attitudes, feelings, and emotions. This method of therapy is
based on the ideas of Sigmund Freud, the founder of the
psychoanalytic school of thought. The unconscious, according to
Freud, is a repository of desires, emotions, and memories that exist
under the surface of conscious consciousness. He concluded that
unconscious forces were often responsible for psychological distress
and disruptions.
 STRENGTHS: 
This approach helps the client to eliminate emotional discomfort by
helping the client to understand their problems through the
expression of feelings and providing new ways and ideas on how to
solve their problems and new ways of thinking and behavior. Using
this approach, it can help the client to be truly himself. A client can
say something that comes into his head, even something that is
unpleasant, embarrassing, or painful. Emotions are also important as
the client expresses his or her experiences. This helps to understand
even the deepest unconscious experiences of the patient and interpret
them, that is, transform the unconscious into the conscious.
 WEAKNESSES:
Psychoanalytic therapy is a long journey. It involves
reaching back or reminiscing past experiences from
childhood up to the present that may not be suitable or
effective for resistant and younger clients, and those patients
with severe psychopathology. It also requires ongoing
sessions that can last for several years. It is also an intense
process that involves emotional responses from the client
that can cause them to feel uneasy and bothered. 
 
 RECOMMENDATION: 
This approach can last up to several years. Some clients may
not finish the process and somehow some other clients need
immediate actions for their problems. I think, in recovering
past experiences, consider only the important experiences
that happened in the past so it will not take too long and the
client can finish the session. 
 INSIGHTS: 
Psychoanalytic therapy used the past experiences of the client and relate them to the
present experiences. This approach can help people with depression, emotional
struggles, emotional trauma, feelings of low self-worth, neurotic behavior patterns,
self-destructive behavior patterns, personality disorders, problems with identity,
ongoing relationship difficulties, and sexuality. According to this approach, an
individual made unconscious decisions based on the client’s childhood experience.
Psychoanalysis as a therapeutic procedure is precisely aimed at the patient’s
awareness of his unconscious conflicts, including the earliest ones. The
psychoanalytic approach helps people explore their past and understand how it
affects their present psychological difficulties. It can help patients shed the bonds of
experience to live more fully in the present.
 
REFERENCES:
PsychologyWriting. (2022, December 1). Psychoanalytic and Cognitive Behavioral
Approach in Counseling and Psychotherapy. Retrieved from
https://psychologywriting.com/psychoanalytic-and-cognitive-behavioral-approach-in-
counseling-and-psychotherapy/
 
Seren Shah. Psychoanalytic Therapy: Process and Benefits. Clin Exp Psychol, 2021, 7 (4),
01.
https://www.iomcworld.org/open-access/psychoanalytic-therapy-process-and-benefits.pdf
 
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/therapy-types/psychoanalytic-therapy
 
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358090684_PSYCHOANALYTIC_PSYCHOT
HERAPY_Psychoanalytic_theory