Freud's Discovery of Psychoanalysis

This week our class went to the Freud Museum London. This was his home for the last year of Freud’s life. When Sigmund and his family escaped from Vienna they came to London. While exploring the house we were able to learn more about Freud than what we were taught their lectures and textbooks. We saw a more personal side of the man who discovered psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis is a theory as well as therapy for people who suffer from disorders such as depression or anxiety. He thought of the idea in the 1890’s and it continues to be used in psychology today. When trying to find a treatment for his patients that had hysterical symptoms, Freud realized there were mental processes in the unconscious not just the conscious. Freud would bring patients into the study and have them lay on a couch facing away from him. The patient would then just talk to Freud about dreams they have had or any experiences mainly childhood experiences. The point of this therapy was to make unconscious thoughts or feelings conscious to the patient so he or she could deal with them by releasing them and emotions that were attached. There are several key ideas of Freud’s psychoanalysis. They are that there are large aspects of our psychological function that is hidden in the unconsciousness, people bring emotions from past experiences to every relationship, and sexuality and aggression in mental life are seen through childhood experiences and are important in understanding current issues a person may be experiences.

Psychoanalytic therapy is based on the psychoanalysis theories by Sigmund Freud.  It is often what the general public believes the entire field of psychology is based around.  Therapy involves therapists simply listening and speaking to their patients, a method that is sometimes known as the “talking cure.”  The goal of psychoanalytic treatment is to look at the unconscious mind and determine how thoughts and behaviors are influenced.  A frequent subject of study in psychoanalytic treatment is letting the patient speak about events in their past such as their childhood, in order to determine if any events have contributed to the patients current personality and actions.  The patient may be subject of unconscious thoughts or feelings that may play a role in adapting a mental illness and maladaptive behaviors.  Techniques that can be used by therapists are free association, role play, and dream interpretation.  Free association lets the patient freely speak about whatever comes to mind without any judgment.  Role playing involves physically trying to act out an event or feeling in order to surface any possible hidden emotion or memory that may have been suppressed.  Dream interpretation involves discussing the patient’s dreams and turning what they see into symbolic messages that may apply to their current lives.

Here is a funny cartoon portraying psychoanalysis.

http://www.psychoanalysis.org.uk/clinic/about.php

There is an institution on psychoanalysis here in London. Here is a link with more information on the clinic.

Christopher Sanchez & Samantha Beckwith