Freud and Psychosexual Behaviour
Essay Title:
EVALUATE THE EXTENT TO WHICH FREUD’S THEORY OF PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT CAN HELP TO UNDERSTAND A CLIENT’S PRESENTING ISSUE.
Introduction:
In this essay I will consider Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalysis theories and in particular his theory of psychosexual development in the light of what would be helpful to the therapist as they seek to understand a client’s ‘presenting issue’ in today’s world.
Who was Sigmund Freud?
Born into an Austrian-Jewish family in 1856 he studied medicine at the University of Vienna from 1873-1881. He was strongly influenced in his early psychology study by Breuer’s research of the treatment of hysteria by hypnosis(1884) Freud’s first publication, ‘The Interpretation of Dreams’1 faced opposition but eventually in 1902 acceptance in some circles led to the founding of The Viennese Psycho-analytic Society. Freud’s theories of psychological analysis has come to be considered as the greatest influence in the field of psychology and counselling. Freud was especially interested in establishing a scientific basis for his theories. He was influenced by Charles Darwin’s evolution theory and following a biological logic he established a rigid model for the normal sexual development of human beings and called it the ‘libido’ development. Freud believed the unconscious human mind as the source of
1 The Interpretation of Dreams. (1900) Sigmund Freud. iv and v (2nd edition) Hogarth Press 1955
Mental energy and this determined behaviour, goals and drives of individuals. Underpinning this idea was the acknowledgement that an individual’s behaviour is directly related to all prior or childhood experience. Freud argued that the human mind or Psyche was divided into 3 parts, unconscious; preconscious; and conscious. These mind areas were equivalent to: - the ‘id’ of the personality that pursues pleasure and instant gratification: the ‘ego’ is able to consider the consequences of an action and deals with the childlike
EVALUATE THE EXTENT TO WHICH FREUD’S THEORY OF PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT CAN HELP TO UNDERSTAND A CLIENT’S PRESENTING ISSUE.
Introduction:
In this essay I will consider Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalysis theories and in particular his theory of psychosexual development in the light of what would be helpful to the therapist as they seek to understand a client’s ‘presenting issue’ in today’s world.
Who was Sigmund Freud?
Born into an Austrian-Jewish family in 1856 he studied medicine at the University of Vienna from 1873-1881. He was strongly influenced in his early psychology study by Breuer’s research of the treatment of hysteria by hypnosis(1884) Freud’s first publication, ‘The Interpretation of Dreams’1 faced opposition but eventually in 1902 acceptance in some circles led to the founding of The Viennese Psycho-analytic Society. Freud’s theories of psychological analysis has come to be considered as the greatest influence in the field of psychology and counselling. Freud was especially interested in establishing a scientific basis for his theories. He was influenced by Charles Darwin’s evolution theory and following a biological logic he established a rigid model for the normal sexual development of human beings and called it the ‘libido’ development. Freud believed the unconscious human mind as the source of
1 The Interpretation of Dreams. (1900) Sigmund Freud. iv and v (2nd edition) Hogarth Press 1955
Mental energy and this determined behaviour, goals and drives of individuals. Underpinning this idea was the acknowledgement that an individual’s behaviour is directly related to all prior or childhood experience. Freud argued that the human mind or Psyche was divided into 3 parts, unconscious; preconscious; and conscious. These mind areas were equivalent to: - the ‘id’ of the personality that pursues pleasure and instant gratification: the ‘ego’ is able to consider the consequences of an action and deals with the childlike
Bibliography: Michael Jacobs. Psychodynamic Counselling in Action. Sage Counselling Series. (2006) P Saunders, A Frankland, P Wilkins S Freud. Interpretation of Dreams. Wordsworth Classics of World Liturature. (re edited 1977) Winnicott Jacques Derrida.The postcard: From Socrates to Freud and beyond. (1987) University of Chicago Press. 2nd edition. Marshall Edelson. Hypothesis and Evidence in Psychoanalysis.(2005) Chicago University Press. Katja Behling. Martha Freud. (2005) Polity Press.