D171 Introduction to Counselling Tma01
TMA01
Throughout history, people have strived to determine the origin of mental illness. Since the19th
century psychologists have debated the issue, which eventually led to the development of
psychological theories. At the fore front of these developments was Freud who essentially saw
mental illness arising from childhood trauma and such trauma could be cured by the encouraging
the client to recal past experiences.
In the first half of this essay I will describe and compare both Psychodynamic and Cognitive-
behavioural approaches, before contrasting the differences between both psychological practices.
Psychodynamic counselling is defined as a "Psychological approach that emphasizes unconscious
dynamics within the individual, instinctual Psychodynamic perspective is mostly centered on inner
conflicts and how such conflicts affect development through out life. Sigmund Freud founded the
general basis of this theory, believing that inner conflicts will normally arise from childhood and
can often lead to mental illness. This is done by impeding the balanced development of the three
systems that constitute the human Psyche. These three systems are the ID, which is the innate
sexual and aggressive drives; the ego, which is the conscious part of the brain that mediates
between reality and unconscious, and finally the super ego, this controls primitive impulses of the
Id and can represents moral ideals.
Many psychologists believe that mental disorders are the direct result of psychodynamic conflicts
that cannot be dealt with by the clients own coping mechanism; they do not satisfy both the
superego and the ID. For some people these internal mechanisms are insufficient. This in turn
often leads to illness. The psychodynamic approach still believes that solutions lie in child hood
and the clients are not aware of their real motivation.
Throughout history, people have strived to determine the origin of mental illness. Since the19th
century psychologists have debated the issue, which eventually led to the development of
psychological theories. At the fore front of these developments was Freud who essentially saw
mental illness arising from childhood trauma and such trauma could be cured by the encouraging
the client to recal past experiences.
In the first half of this essay I will describe and compare both Psychodynamic and Cognitive-
behavioural approaches, before contrasting the differences between both psychological practices.
Psychodynamic counselling is defined as a "Psychological approach that emphasizes unconscious
dynamics within the individual, instinctual Psychodynamic perspective is mostly centered on inner
conflicts and how such conflicts affect development through out life. Sigmund Freud founded the
general basis of this theory, believing that inner conflicts will normally arise from childhood and
can often lead to mental illness. This is done by impeding the balanced development of the three
systems that constitute the human Psyche. These three systems are the ID, which is the innate
sexual and aggressive drives; the ego, which is the conscious part of the brain that mediates
between reality and unconscious, and finally the super ego, this controls primitive impulses of the
Id and can represents moral ideals.
Many psychologists believe that mental disorders are the direct result of psychodynamic conflicts
that cannot be dealt with by the clients own coping mechanism; they do not satisfy both the
superego and the ID. For some people these internal mechanisms are insufficient. This in turn
often leads to illness. The psychodynamic approach still believes that solutions lie in child hood
and the clients are not aware of their real motivation.
References: *Freud,S.(1917/1979) 'The case of Dora ', Pelican Freud Library Vol; 8 Case History I, Harmonsworth Penguin. *Beck,A. (1979) Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders, Harmondsworth, Penguin. *Cognitive Therapy of Depression: Aaron T. Beck, A. John Rush, Brian F. Shaw and Gary Emery, Guilford Press, New York, 1979, 425 pp. *Jung, C.G. (1963) Menoriies, Dreams, Reflections (ed. A. Jaffe), New York, NY,Pantheon Books. *D,G. Myers. Exploring Psychology + Psychinquiry 7 Macmillan Higher Education, 2008 4