Psychoanalysis and Object Relations

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Psychoanalysis and Object Relations

• Intro to Theories of Therapy

Consciousness is only a small portion of the
mind. The unconscious stores up all experiences,
memories, and repressed material. Most
psychological functioning exists in the
out-of-awareness realm.
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Where well go today

• In order to appreciate object relations, it is
  necessary to have a foundation of psychoanalysis
• Look at a case example with an object relations
  lens

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Psychoanalysis View of Human Nature

• Behavior is determined by irrational forces,
  unconscious motivations, and biological and
  instinctual drives as these evolve through
  psychosexual stages
• Driven by libido
• Death instincts

4
Structure of personality

• Id
• Ego
• Superego

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Goals of psychoanalysis

• Make the unconscious conscious
• Insight is only a part of the cure
• Strengthen the ego so behavior is based more on
  reality and less on instinctual cravings or
  irrational guilt

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Defense mechanisms

• Repression
• Denial
• Reaction formation
• Projection
• Displacement
• Rationalization
• Sublimation
• Regression
• Introjection
• Identification
• Compensation

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Psychosexual stages of development

• Oral
• Birth-1 year
• Anal
• 1-3 years
• Phallic
• 3-6 years
• Latency period
• 6-12 years
• Genital
• 12 years

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Therapists function and role

• Blank-screen
• Transference
• Listen and interpret
• Teach clients the meaning of unconscious processes

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Clients experience

• Therapy several times per week for 3-5 years
• Therapy ends when client and therapist agree that
  problem is solved

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Transference and Countertransference

• Transference
• Countertransference

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Objection Relations

• Refers to the developing relationships between
  the child and significant others or love objects
  in the childs life
• Focus is on how the child views the relationship
• These views then affect the child as he/she
  becomes an adult

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Object Relations

• While psychoanalysis focuses on internal drives,
  OR is focused on internalized relationships

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Object Relations

• Key concepts
• Individuation
• Transitional object
• True self/False self
• Splitting
• Introject
• Projective identification

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Object Relations

• Therapist
• Non-directive
• Empathetic
• Uses interpretation and transference/countertransf
  erence

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Object Relations

• Goal of therapy
• To achieve an integrated view of reality through
  accepting repressed and forgotten memories