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NEO-FREUDIANS:Strengths, Weaknesses, NEO-FREUDIANS, Family Constellation

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Theory and Practice of Counseling - PSY632
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LESSON 25
NEO-FREUDIANS
Link to Previous Lecture: Evaluation of Freudian Psychoanalysis
Strengths
·  The importance of sexuality and the unconscious in human behavior.
·  The approach lends itself to empirical studies. Freud's proposals have generated a tremendous
amount of research since the early 1900s. Usually psychoanalytic research is based on case histories
·  Provides a theoretical base of support for a number of diagnostic instruments.
·  The approach reflects the complexity of human nature.
·  The approach has grown and developed through the years. There are several modified forms of
psychoanalysis, such as ego psychology or object-relations theories.
·  The approach appears to be effective for those who suffer from a wide variety of disorders, such as
hysteria, narcissism, obsessive-compulsive reactions, character disorders, anxiety, phobias, and
sexual difficulties.
·  The approach stressed the importance of developmental stages the knowledge of which is essential
for treatment plans. Moreover, this also provided basis for the development of other personality
theories, such as those of Erikson and Levinson.
·  Some psychological tests, such as the Thematic Apperception Test or the Rorschach Ink Blots, are
rooted in psychoanalytic theory.
Weaknesses
Despite the unique emphases of psychoanalysis, most modern professional counselors do not use the
approach. The reasons are numerous, but among them are following limiting factors:
·  Time consuming and expensive.
·  The approach does not seem to lend itself to working with older clients.
·  Based on many concepts not easily communicated or understood. These concepts not only are
difficult to test but also have inadequate evidence for their existence.
·  Overemphasis on biology and unconscious forces
·  Sexism
·  Lack of Cross-cultural support
·  The approach is deterministic.
·  Counselors and psychologists without medical degrees have had a difficult time getting extensive
training in psychoanalysis.
·  Feminist perspective argues that psychoanalytic therapy places too much emphasis on penis envy,
mother's responsibility for patient's problems.
NEO-FREUDIANS
Psychoanalytic theory represents one of the most sweeping contributions to the field of personality. Despite
its influence, Freud's followers developed opposing views and rejected many of his controversial concept,
for example, Adler was the first analyst to reject Freud' ideas in favor of social interest. Karen Horney,
Sullivan, and Eric Fromm are the psychoanalysts who developed a social-psychological view. They extended
Freud' views and are known as Neo-Freudian.
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Theory and Practice of Counseling - PSY632
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Adlerian Counseling
Alfred Adler
Alfred Adler was born in 1870 in Penzing, Austria, a suburb of Vienna. He was a second of six children in a
middle-class Jewish family. Adler shared a close relationship with his mother until his younger brother was
born. Because he felt abandoned at that time, he sought the support of his father. Adler was also close to
his older brother, Sigmund.
Alder was a sickly child and was injured often. He was run over in the street, suffered from rickets, and
almost died of phenomena at age 5. At age 3, he witnessed the death of a younger brother. It is little wonder
that he was later attracted to the profession of medicine. To make up for his physical limitations, Adler
spent a great deal of his childhood outside playing with other children and went out of his way to cultivate
their friendship.
In 1895, he graduated in medicine from the University of Vienna. Adler was invited to join Freud's Vienna
Psychoanalysis Society where he quickly gained prominence. Adler always thought as a colleague rather than
a disciple of Freud. He disagreed early on with Freud's theoretical approach, especially the emphasis on
biology and sexuality. Adler developed a theoretical orientation that was less deterministic and more
practical and hopeful. In 1911 he formed his own group, Individual Psychology, because of differences with
Freud. He disagreed with the sexual etiology of neurosis and importance of instinctual drives.
View of Human Nature
Following are the important concepts of Adlerian Psychology:
·  Family constellation and Environment
·  Striving for superiority
·  Social interest
·  Life-Style
·  Fictional finalism
Adler's view of human nature is much more positive than Freud's. Rather than being motivated by
instinctual drives, Adler thought that humans are primarily motivated by social interpersonal factors. His
theory holds that conscious aspects of behavior, rather than the unconscious are central to the development
of personality.
Family Constellation
His theory places considerable emphasis on birth order; those who share ordinal birth positions (for
example firstborn) may have more in common with one another that siblings from the same family. Five
ordinal positions are emphasized in Adlerian literature on the family constellation.
·
Firstborn
o  Firstborn are initially the "reigning monarchs" of a family because they receive undivided
attention from parents. They are socialized to confirm, achieve, behave, and please. They
take responsibility when parents are absent and often act as parent substitutes in large
families. All firstborn experience the loss of their unique position in the family when a
second child is born.
·
Secondborns
o  The position of secondborn is an enviable one, according to Adler, but does have
drawbacks. Secondborns never have to worry about issues of power and authority as
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firstborns do. Usually, these individuals are more outgoing, carefree, and creative and less
concerned with rules than firstborns.
·
Middle Children
o  Children born in the middle positions of a family often feel alliances that an oldest or a
youngest child may form. These skills can prove useful for manipulating events to get what
they want and choosing areas where they can be successful.
·
Youngest Children
o  Youngest children in the family have difficulties and opportunities that are different from
those of their older siblings. Youngest children receive a great deal of attention from
others, who are likely to cater to their needs. These children may become charmers but
may also have difficulty breaking out of the role of baby or family pet. They face the
danger of becoming spoiled. At the same time, youngest children may make great strides in
achieving because of role models provided by older siblings.
·
Only Children
o  Any child born seven or more years apart from siblings is psychologically an only child.
These children, as a group, are never dethroned and are at an advantage, like oldest
children, in receiving a great deal of attention.
Family Environment
In addition to birth order, the family environment is important to a person's development, particularly in
the first five years of life.
·  A negative family atmosphere might be authorization, rejective, suppressive, materialistic,
overprotective, or pitying.
·  Perception of the family atmosphere, rather than any events themselves, is crucial to the
development of a style of life.
Srtriving for Superiority
Drive toward superiority is similar to self actualization but has nothing to do with achieving a position in
society. It pulls the individual through the developmental stages. Human beings strive for superiority as
their life goal. It is "the great upward drive". A major Adlerian tenet is that people strive to become
successful (that is the best they can be); therefore their behavior is goal directed and purposeful. There is
also a tendency for each person initially to feel inferior to others because of psychological or social
problems or actual physical disability. If this feeling is not overcome the person develops an inferiority
complex. In contrast a person who overcompensates for feelings of inferiority develops a superiority
complex which is what Adler also described as a neurotic fiction that is unproductive.
Social interest and Life Style
The judgment of self in relation to one's perception of status in the world begins to form patterns of
behavior that become one's life-style.
·  Human beings are motivated by social rather than instinctual factors
·  The judgment of self in relation to one's perception of status in the world begins to form patterns
of behavior that become one's life-style.
·  The life-style is based on the individual's feelings of inferiority and striving to overcome a weakness
·  Formed at the age of 4 or 5
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Teleological Goals and Fictional Finalism
Adler believed that people are as influenced by future (teleogical) goals as by past causes.
Fictional goal: The fiction is the subjective creation of the individual that offers a basis for action as if such
were a true assessment of reality
·  Fictional finalism is the striving for this goal
Role of the Counselor
·  Adlerian counselors function primarily as diagnosticians, teachers, and models in the equalitarian
relationships they establish with their clients. They try to assess why clients are oriented to a certain
way of thinking and behaving. The counselor makes an assessment by gathering information on the
family constellation and a client's earliest memories.
·  The counselor then shares interpretations, impressions, opinions, and feelings with the client and
concentrates on promoting the therapeutic relationship.
·  The client is encouraged to examine and change a faulty life-style by developing social interests.
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Table of Contents:
  1. INTRODUCTION:Counseling Journals, Definitions of Counseling
  2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND COUNSELING & PSYCHOTHERAPY
  3. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 1900-1909:Frank Parson, Psychopathic Hospitals
  4. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:Recent Trends in Counseling
  5. GOALS & ACTIVITIES GOALS OF COUNSELING:Facilitating Behavior Change
  6. ETHICAL & LEGAL ISSUES IN COUNSELING:Development of Codes
  7. ETHICAL & LEGAL ISSUES IN COUNSELING:Keeping Relationships Professional
  8. EFFECTIVE COUNSELOR:Personal Characteristics Model
  9. EFFECTIVE COUNSELOR:Humanism, People Orientation, Intellectual Curiosity
  10. EFFECTIVE COUNSELOR:Cultural Bias in Theory and Practice, Stress and Burnout
  11. COUNSELING SKILLS:Microskills, Body Language & Movement, Paralinguistics
  12. COUNSELING SKILLS COUNSELOR’S NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION:Use of Space
  13. COUNSELING SKILLS HINTS TO MAINTAIN CONGRUENCE:
  14. LISTENING & UNDERSTANDING SKILLS:Barriers to an Accepting Attitude
  15. LISTENING & UNDERSTANDING SKILLS:Suggestive Questions,
  16. LISTENING & UNDERSTANDING SKILLS:Tips for Paraphrasing, Summarizing Skills
  17. INFLUENCING SKILLS:Basic Listening Sequence (BLS), Interpretation/ Reframing
  18. FOCUSING & CHALLENGING SKILLS:Focused and Selective Attention, Family focus
  19. COUNSELING PROCESS:Link to the Previous Lecture
  20. COUNSELING PROCESS:The Initial Session, Counselor-initiated, Advice Giving
  21. COUNSELING PROCESS:Transference & Counter-transference
  22. THEORY IN THE PRACTICE OF COUNSELING:Timing of Termination
  23. PSYCHOANALYTIC APPROACHES TO COUNSELING:View of Human Nature
  24. CLASSICAL PSYCHOANALYTIC APPROACH:Psychic Determination, Anxiety
  25. NEO-FREUDIANS:Strengths, Weaknesses, NEO-FREUDIANS, Family Constellation
  26. NEO-FREUDIANS:Task setting, Composition of Personality, The Shadow
  27. NEO-FREUDIANS:Ten Neurotic Needs, Modes of Experiencing
  28. CLIENT-CENTERED APPROACH:Background of his approach, Techniques
  29. GESTALT THERAPY:Fritz Perls, Causes of Human Difficulties
  30. GESTALT THERAPY:Role of the Counselor, Assessment
  31. EXISTENTIAL THERAPY:Rollo May, Role of Counselor, Logotherapy
  32. COGNITIVE APPROACHES TO COUNSELING:Stress-Inoculation Therapy
  33. COGNITIVE APPROACHES TO COUNSELING:Role of the Counselor
  34. TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS:Eric Berne, The child ego state, Transactional Analysis
  35. BEHAVIORAL APPROACHES:Respondent Learning, Social Learning Theory
  36. BEHAVIORAL APPROACHES:Use of reinforcers, Maintenance, Extinction
  37. REALITY THERAPY:Role of the Counselor, Strengths, Limitations
  38. GROUPS IN COUNSELING:Major benefits, Traditional & Historical Groups
  39. GROUPS IN COUNSELING:Humanistic Groups, Gestalt Groups
  40. MARRIAGE & FAMILY COUNSELING:Systems Theory, Postwar changes
  41. MARRIAGE & FAMILY COUNSELING:Concepts Related to Circular Causality
  42. CAREER COUNSELING:Situational Approaches, Decision Theory
  43. COMMUNITY COUNSELING & CONSULTING:Community Counseling
  44. DIAGNOSIS & ASSESSMENT:Assessment Techniques, Observation
  45. FINAL OVERVIEW:Ethical issues, Influencing skills, Counseling Approaches