Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalysis. Are They Outdated?

Many people who do not know much about psychology seem to think that all psychologists are Freudian psychoanalysts, which is not even remotely true. Although Freudian Psychotherapy has peaked the interest of many over the last century, this form of counseling is the least applicable to today's therapeutic trends. Freud was ahead of his time in developing ideas like the subconscious and the stages of development, but many of his theories were never scientifically proven to be as helpful to clients as some more modern theories, like that of Adlerian.

People in Freud's time were fascinated with his idea that the conscious state of mind only represents only the "tip of the ice-burg" of what humans actually know and think, but his methods were not necessarily the most useful to the client. It seems they were more about studying the client and the way his or her childhood affected the psyche than finding solutions to the current problems the client was having.

Another aspect of Freudian therapy that would deter many modern-day counselors is the amount of time that would be involved in this type of counseling. Even brief psychotherapy could take years to complete. Practically speaking, it is not likely that many insurance carriers would cover this extensive treatment, especially if less time-consuming alternatives were available. And from the client's point of view, unless they were in a residential treatment facility, many clients would find it difficult to fit several long sessions a week into their schedules.

After years of being involved in Psychotherapy, many clients would probably be unwilling to terminate treatment. Having spent years divulging your innermost thoughts and desires to a person, it would be difficult for many people to end that relationship with the therapist. Once a person comes to depend on that therapist, no matter how gradually the counselor tried to end treatment, it could still be difficult. We discussed in class the idea that many clients of psychotherapy may even revert back to some of the behaviors that were causing them problems to begin with.

Freud's contributions to the study of psychology are immeasurable, and many modern theories have roots in some of his ideas. However, I am drawn to therapies that focus more on the client in the present rather than analyzing the past. Freud helped people realize that a person's history is bound to have an effect on the way their mind functions, and many of Freud's ideas of transference ring true, but other techniques make more sense to me in treating milder psychological problems.

One idea of Freud's with which I disagree is that of "psychic determination". This is the idea that behavior is never an accident, but that it all has some deeper unconscious meaning. I would agree that most behavior has some intrinsic meaning behind it, but I think that people do act on bodily impulses that, while they may have some connection to the brain, are not what I would consider "subconsciously motivated." Because this idea is at the heart of psychotherapy, it would not be useful for one who does not believe it wholeheartedly to attempt to implement this type of counseling.

Another aspect of Freud's work that has been controversial is his views about male and female developmental stages. Many would consider them quite sexist, in fact. His discussion of penis envy is one that sets off "red flags" for many feminists. Just the name of this concept alone could be offensive to some because it implies an inherent superiority of the phallis over the female genitalia. This is one of those Freudian terms that has become a household term in our society, often used by people who have never really studied the theory in it's entirety, but hear the term and begin using it as if they understand the full concept behind it.

Although Freud's stages of development are interesting to read about, I do not think that I would actually use most of them in a counseling situation. I am more drawn to theories that put the focus on the client. I could not picture my own personality working well in a psychotherapy relationship with a client. I think I would fit much better into a more interactive counseling technique, such as Adlerian.

Also, Freud's concept of the child as a sexual being, which is the root of a lot of his psychoanalysis, is somewhat difficult for me to grasp. I understand the ideas behind it, but I just do not see children as being motivated by sexual drives. I am not saying I vehemently disagree that they could be, but the connections do not quite make sense to me. While I do believe that incidents in a child's early life could have an impact on their sexuality later in life, I do not necessarily feel that an early sexual drive is what causes this correlation. Psychoanalysis is fascinating, but not very practical, unfortunately.