Psychoanalytic approach case study

As such, it is the influence of facets of the unconscious mind that result in psychological distress. In this regard, the goal of psychoanalytic therapy is to bring repressed thoughts and emotions regarding past experiences to conscious awareness so that they can be dealt with. The counselor analyzes how early experiences including those from childhood shape the client’s current situation or events. Some of the psychological issues that are treated using this treatment modality include identity problems, relationship problems, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and sexual concerns, among others. The underlying belief concerning treatment is that symptom reduction alone is relatively insignificant because failure to resolve underlying conflict results in more issues (Guntrip, 2018). The third level of consciousness is the unconscious which consists of memories that are deeply buried because they are traumatic, threatening, or involve undesirable impulses (Guntrip, 2018).

Using Freud’s theory to analyze Mrs. Liam’s case, it is evident that some unresolved past events influence her present life. One of the significant events that occurred in Mrs. Lam’s life to the extent that it might be presently affecting her is the flee from Mainland China to Hong Kong following the Japanese invasion. Lam has not resolved her feelings or made peace with her past. For instance, she recollects the memories of her past such as the sudden death of her husband and the consequent hardships with “bitterness and anger. ” Moreover, her resentment is also fueled by her grown sons and daughters-in-law since she feels that her current situation has not gotten any better despite the adversities she endured for their wellbeing.

Remarkably, analyzing all these pieces of her past using the psychoanalytic approach helps one to put into perspective how past experiences influence the present and the future. Salient Problems One of the prominent problems faced by Mrs. Lam also complains of being lonely and unhappy. She maintains that no one pays attention to her since she has nobody to listen to her and to talk to. From her psychoanalytic perspective, Mrs. Lam frustrations might be as a result of past occurrences like fleeing from her home and the abrupt death of her husband. For instance, as refugees and having left her family in Mainland China, Mrs. Concerning this situation, Mrs. Lam says that she is left out and has little say in household matters and only live as instructed his eldest son and daughter-in-law.

Employing the psychoanalytic approach, Mrs. Lam might be unconsciously comparing her current life with the lack of control that she once experienced. Moreover, since raising her sons and providing for them was challenging, Mrs. Structure of Personality From the psychoanalytic perspective, Sigmund Freud viewed personality development as a product of the interaction between the three essential elements of the human mind namely the id, ego, and the superego. Each of these elements develops at different stages of life. According to McWilliams (2011), it is the conflict between these three structures as well as the attempts to offset the motivations of each that determine individual behavior and people’s outlook of the world. The first component of personality is the id. Guntrip (2018) maintains that the id is primitive and operates on impulse.

For example, she is upset because her grandchildren are now grown and busier with the school work that they rarely pay attention to her. This is an irrational thought because the children have to be in school. Instead of being pleased that they are doing well with their school work, the client only focuses on her needs. Also, Mrs. Lam seems unsatisfied with her son’s attempts to please her by taking her to family outings despite his busy schedule. While the id is unreasonable, the ego operates based on reason and is amended by the direct influence of the external world. Moreover, the ego is centered on the reality principle meaning that it works out practical methods of meeting the demands of the id.

In this regard, the ego might compromise or delay gratification to avoid adverse consequences that are often stipulated by society. This constituent of personality reflects on the rules and social norms which in turn influence decisions or behavior. For instance, instead of dealing with her loneliness using unacceptable means, Mrs. Defense Mechanisms Mrs. Lam employs certain defenses to protect her from anxiety and conflict with her daughter. According to Kramer (2010), defense mechanisms are the coping styles that the ego uses at an unconscious level to defend against unpleasant feelings or tension. The uncomfortable emotions such as anxiety in Mrs. Lam’s case arise when one feels overwhelmed or threatened by external and internal stressors. Another defense mechanism that Mrs. Lam uses is suppression or motivated forgetting.

Suppression involves consciously subduing or excluding distressing feelings, memories, and emotions from the conscious mind. Similarly, motivated forgetting is influenced by a strong motive to forget events or occurrences that are upsetting (Kramer, 2010). For example, Mrs. Lam displaces her dislike of her daughter-in-law as well on her grandchildren. For instance, when her grandchildren refuse to side with her when she talks ill of their mother, she begins to consider them as disobedient and disrespectful of her. Cultural Issues and Limitations Cultural consideration is a critical aspect of psychotherapy. Issues of culture have a considerably affect the progression of the psychoanalytic approach. Regarding the relationship between psychoanalysis and culture, one of the points to consider concerning the case study is Mrs. Fundamentally, while relating with other people, the Chinese culture requires or has socialized individuals to sacrifice personal emotional needs and thoughts in favor of the family’s desires.

Zhong (2018) sees this position as not based on guilty feelings but the fantasies of fear concerning being treated as an outcast of punished by the authorities in the family. Nevertheless, concepts from Buddhism seem to provide operational ways of dealing with intrapsychic conflict which result from repressed emotions. For example, the theory of reincarnation encourages people to bravely bear suffering in the present life to gain happiness in the next life. The psychoanalytic perspective bears specific limitations associated with cultural issues. In this regard, since the psychoanalytic approach to treatment relies on free association and open communication, one might find it difficult to understand an individual. Another limitation of the psychoanalytic approach associated with culture is that while this model leans more towards non-directive methods of analyzing and solving problems, some cultures value directive or authoritative form of help in psychotherapy such as the one employed by other models like the cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).