Assessment Requirements Assessment Tasks • Assessment task 1 Title: Critical iivalitatiOn of 2 major therapeutic orientations Details of NS*: Compare and contrast two thorapio% using the case study of...

The two approaches being discusses below are Psychoanalysis fathered by Sigmund Freud
and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (hereafter referred to as REBT) given by Albert
Ellis. Psychoanalysis is a historically important approach which still reaches the clinical
setting owing to the vast terminology and concepts that it lend to it. However, REBT is
relatively newer and more applicable in the current day context as well as in the specific case.
Description of therapies
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is a very extensive therapy both for the client as well as the therapist.
Pioneered by Sigmund Freud, this therapeutic technique requires extensive training before a
therapist can practice it.
There are three stages to this therapy. The first stage is the initial phase in which the basic
therapeutic relationship originates and client begins to get relief by talking to the therapist.
The second stage is the middle phase and is the longest of the three. This is where all the
therapeutic work happens. All the techniques are used in this stage and the final goal is to
reach true emotional and intellectual insight. The third and last phase is of termination. The
analyst needs to end the relationship and the client needs to prepare to deal with life by
himself or herself and leave therapy.
It is based on the extensive theory given by Freud. In his theory, the structure of the mind was
divided into the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious, of which the unconscious was the
largest reservoir of powerful, instinctual, irrational forces that very repressed or put away
from consciousness.
The personality according the Freud is made up of three components—the id, the ego, and the
superego—all of which interact at the unconscious level.
Another aspect is of personality development for which Freud gave the Psychosexual Stages
of Development. He gave five stages each of which with a zone of pleasure (which Freud
stated was sexual pleasure) and resolution. Successive and timely resolution was important
for healthy personality development.
Problems developed due to the intrapsychic conflicts between id, ego and superego or due to
fixation (not being able to resolve) at a stage of development. All problems are largely at an
unconscious level but cause anxiety in an individual. To cope with this anxiety the individual
may use healthy or unhealthy defence mechanisms that would deny or distort reality to
reduce anxiety.
Some of the basic assumptions/tenants of this theory are:
1. Much of what needs to be explored through therapy is unconscious, repressed
material
2. Humans are driven by irrational instinctual drives
3. These drives give rise to intrapsychic conflicts that need to be resolved
4. Early childhood experiences have a large role to play even in adult functioning
In psychoanalysis the therapist is typically an expert who is interpreting and analysing the
client in an attempt to understand the underlying intrapsychic conflicts and bring it to the
awareness and acceptance of the individual.
The therapist does this by using the techniques of free association, dream analysis, analysis of
transference, analysis of transference and interpretation.
Free Association
In this technique the client is asked to flow with his thoughts, relating on to the next and just
talk freely. The idea is say whatever comes to mind and thus encouraging unconscious
material to flow into consciousness through association.
Dream Analysis
Freud described dreams as the „royal road to the unconscious‟. He believed that by analysing
dreams one could tap the unconscious wishes, unfulfilled childhood desired and the like. The
analyst analyses the manifest, i.e. obvious content of the dream as well as the latent, i.e. true
or real content of the dream.
Analysis of Transference
Transference is a process of emotional identification with the therapist which the therapist
actually encourages. Transference signifies that the client is transferring feelings that he or
she once had towards an authority figure usually from childhood. It happens in stages leading
to transference neurosis and it exposes unconscious wishes and conflicts.
Analysis of Resistance
Often the client begins to resist the therapeutic process by not coming to the therapy session
or coming late, or by not paying dues, or by not freely associating and engaging in frivolities
instead, or refusing to recall dreams, etc. and this must be analysed and confronted. The
therapist tried to uncover the emotions underlying the resistance such as anxiety, fear, shame,
which are causing the resistance.
Interpretation
Interpretation follows alongside all other techniques as it is fundamental to change in the
therapeutic process. The therapist confronts the client with information that she or he must
face and clarifies vague or confusing information that is sharpened. By confrontation,
clarification and interpretation the therapist makes the client aware of intrapsychic events and
conflicts and relates them to the current symptoms the client may be facing.
Repeatedly using these ways is called working through and the process of therapy essentially
to work through and help the client understand himself or herself and uncover repressed
materials and bring it to the conscious mind. As a result the client reaches a state of insight
which is the ultimate goal of psychoanalytic therapy.
REBT
Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy was founded by Albert Ellis. The central theme in this
therapy is that irrational beliefs cause distress and changing such beliefs in the central
purpose of this therapy.
Albert Ellis did not view humans nearly as negatively as Freud. Ellis believes in the duality
of human nature wherein humans are inherently rational and irrational, sensible and crazy.
So, even though humans have a tendency to think irrationally, they also have the ability and
potential to modify thoughts and feelings, think rationally and change for the better.
A-B-C-D-E Model
This is the conceptual model underlying REBT.
A-Antecedent (activating event/experience)
B-Belief (how the person thinks about the experience)
C-Consequences (Emotional reaction or behaviour in response to B)
D- Disputing (irrational thoughts- with the help of REBT therapist)
E-Effective thoughts (accepting effective, rational thoughts)
REBT teaches clients to understand the relationships between irrational feelings and
behaviours and the underlying and preceding irrational thoughts and beliefs. After
understanding they need to replace such beliefs with rational and more adaptive beliefs.
Albert Ellis talks about certain values that are important in promoting emotional adjustment.
These are:
1. Self-Acceptance
2. Risk taking
3. Non-utopian (accepting that there is no utopia)
4. High frustration tolerance
5. Self-responsibility for disturbance
6. Self-interest
7. Social interest
8. Self-direction
9. Tolerance
10. Flexibility
11. Acceptance of uncertainty
12. Commitment
REBT has five major theoretical constructs within which is operates. These are goals,
purposes and rationality, humanistic emphasis, cognition, biological tendencies, fundamental
disturbances....