Psychoanalytic theories of psychotherapy.

Abstract

To a significant extent, the history of theoretical developments in psychoanalysis can be understood as a series of successive reactions to Freudian drive theory, with its emphasis on libidinal and aggressive wishes as the primary motives for behavior. Thus, following Pine (1990), the main foci of theorizing in psychoanalysis subsequent to drive theory-ego, object, and self-can be meaningfully viewed as entailing modification or abandonment of that drive theory. These theoretical developments gave greater primacy to interpersonal and social determinants of personality development and psychopathology.The extension of drive theory to include ego psychological considerations was begun quite early by Freud himself with the concept of defense (Freud, 1894(Freud, /1962, continued with his paper, "On Narcissism" (1914/ 1957a) where consideration of self and object and of pre-oedipal periods of development came to the fore, and culminated with the exposition of the tripartite, structural theory of the mind (

The emotion-focused therapeutic relationship: Genuineness, warmth, and acceptance are not neutral: Comment on Gelso and Kanninen (2017).

“…Thus, although I support the neutrality principle of “evenly hovering attention” to all aspects of what the client is expressing (Eagle & Wolitzky, 1992), I am not actually neutral to all parts of the person. Neutrality implies a less active position, while I feel I am actively warm toward all aspects of the person.…”

Historical perspectives on psychotherapy.

“…In fact there is a strong consensus that therapeutic alliance is the one common factor in successful therapy that transcends all other factors (Grencavage and Norcross 1990). Behavior therapists and psychoanalysts appear to agree that the relationship in therapy is emerging as the strongest predictor of outcome (Eagle and Wolitzky 1992).…”

“…For approximately three decades (194O-1970), ego psychology predominated in analytic writing. In the last two decades, the two main streams of psychoanalytic theory have come from object relations theory and formulations relating to the self, as represented by Kohut (Eagle and Wolitzky 1992).…”

“…The starting point for most historians of psychotherapy is the work of Sigmund Freud. The extension of the drive theory to include the ego was begun by Freud early in his development, together with the concept of defense (Eagle and Wolitzky 1992). Just after the turn of the century, the id became the focus of Freud's theoretical writings, and the period following World War I saw the development of "ego psychology."…”

Empathy: A psychoanalytic perspective.

“…When the term is defined in the traditional way, referring to the therapist's unresolved conflicts and blind spots, countertransference reactions are antithetical to empathy. However, in the more recent "totalistic" conception of countertransference (see Eagle & Wolitzky, 1992)…”