Psychoanalysis
Freud’s psychoanalytic approach to treatment was based on gaining insight into the unconscious. A combination of free association, dream analysis, and interpretation (sometimes called the “talking cure”) was used to resolve conflicts and reduce anxiety, which Freud believed were the source of mental illness. Freud thought that patients may initially show resistance to therapy, to avoid confronting the unconscious, but that this could be overcome by “working through” conflict over time. As resistance faded, Freud believed that a process of transference would occur, in which patients would redirect some strong feelings (love, hatred, etc.) onto the therapist, who could then work to resolve these feelings. Traditional psychoanalysis is not commonly practiced today, though some aspects of it remain, particularly in interpersonal therapy, which focuses on improving relationships.
Humanistic Therapy
The humanistic approach grew out of psychoanalysis but emphasized a more positive view of human nature and focused on striving for improvement rather than battling unconscious forces. The person-centered therapy (also known as client-centered therapy) of Carl Rogers focused on developing self-awareness and self-acceptance. The goal of therapy was personal growth rather than a “cure” and conscious thoughts were considered to be more important than unconscious influences.
The therapist’s role in this humanistic approach was to offer acceptance and genuine reactions to the patient, with the assumption that the patient would realize the correct path toward growth. In order to facilitate this, the therapist would provide empathy and unconditional positive regard, attempting to understand the patient’s experience and reflect it back in a positive way. This was accomplished by active listening in which the therapist would listen to clients, then echo, clarify, and acknowledge their views, allowing them to gradually gain greater awareness.
Frederick “Fritz” Perls developed a humanistic approach called Gestalt therapy, which drew inspiration from the Gestalt psychologists of the early 20th century. The goal of gestalt therapy was for a patient to confront thoughts, behaviors, and feelings, take full responsibility for them, and integrate them into a coherent whole (gestalt). This was accomplished using a variety of techniques, most notably the “empty-chair technique”, in which the patient imagined another person (mother, father, etc.) in an empty chair and talked openly, imagining and role-playing responses from that person.
This post is an excerpt from Master Introductory Psychology: Complete Edition
