Limitation Of Psychodynamic Therapy

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Freud's views on therapy continue to influence therapeutic practice in today's age. Many of his basic concepts are still part of the foundation on which other theorists build and develop their ideas. Some major concepts of the psychoanalytic theory include the personality, the dynamics of the unconscious and its influence on behavior, the role of anxiety, and the development of personality at various stages of the life cycle. Freud's psychoanalytic therapy is still used today, even with the draw backs and limitations.
In the Freudian psychoanalytical view, the personality consists of three systems: the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is all the untamed drives or impulses that might be likened to the biological component. The ego attempts
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A major limitation of traditional psychoanalytic therapy is the relatively long time commitment required to accomplish analytic goals. The emergence of brief, time-limited psychodynamic therapy is a partial response to the criticism of lengthy therapy. A potential limitation of this approach is the anonymous role assumed by some therapists. This stance can be justified on some theoretical grounds, but in therapy situations, other than classical psychoanalysis, this stance is restrictive. From a feminist perspective, there are distinct limitations to a number of Freudian concepts. Object-Relations approach has been criticized for its emphasis on the role of mother-child relations in determining later interpersonal functioning. This approach gives greater responsibility to mothers. While mothers are to blame for inadequate parenting, fathers are absent from the hypothesis about patterns of early …show more content…
For example, April broke up with Adam, and three months later went on a date with Mark. While at the restaurant, April accidentally called Mark by Adam’s name. While this could have just been a simple accident, psychoanalytic theory says that there is a deeper reason for April’s slip. For example, she still has feelings for Adam and her mind is on him, and therefore she called her new date by her old boyfriend’s name. Putting Freud's techniques into practice, therapists would say that April is experiencing physical symptoms of a deeply repressed conflict, and projecting them onto Mark. Therapists would have April lie on a couch to relax, and they would sit behind her taking notes while she told them about her dreams and memories about