Counselling Theory of Freudian Psychoanalysis

This paper reflects upon how I believe the application of psychoanalysis can become an integral part of Christian counseling.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Counselling Theory of Freudian Psychoanalysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The foremost idea that is being explored throughout the paper is that, even though the theory of psychoanalysis appears to contradict a number of Biblical conventions; it nevertheless correlates with the overall spirit of Christianity, as a thoroughly humanistic religion. The legitimacy of this suggestion is being illustrated with discursively appropriate references to Bible. The counseling approach that I will discuss in this paper is based upon the theory of Freudian psychoanalysis. The reason I choose this particular theory is that, despite the fact that a psychoanalytical approach to counseling is being commonly assumed inconsistent with Bible, it nevertheless does adhere to the overall spirit of Christianity, as a religion that stresses out the foremost cause of people’s emotional suffering, as a result of their souls lacking ‘wholesomeness’. Throughout the paper’s consequential parts, I will aim to explore the validity of this thesis at length. The psychoanalysis’s key concepts can be outlined as follows: The observable subtleties of people’s positioning in life reflect their ability to exercise a rational control over the workings of their unconscious. The cause of people’s mental anxieties is the fact that their ego (rationale-based reasoning) often proves incapable of addressing an incompatibility between the unconscious drives of id (primeval urges) and superego (cognitively absorbed and necessarily restrictive moral standards of a particular society). The formation of one’s personality is being reflective of how the specifics of his or her upbringing caused the concerned individual to choose in favor of a particular manner of suppressing its socially inappropriate (sexual) unconscious urges (Jones Butman, 1991). The psychoanalysis-based therapy’s foremost goal is to uncover the essence of patients’ deep-seated irrational anxieties/urges, which in turn is supposed to empower them, within the context of how they go about attaining the sensation of an emotional comfortableness with their sense of self-identity. Even though that from a Christian point of view, there is indeed a number of discursive controversies to the theory of psychoanalysis, there can be little doubt as to the fact that it was specifically the process of people becoming ever more self-knowledgeable (wise), which predetermined the psychoanalysis’s emergence, in the first place (Hoffman, 2007).Advertising Looking for critical writing on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More And, according to Bible, there is not hing ‘sinful’ about people’s strive to acquire wisdom. In fact, Bible endorses such people’s endeavor, â€Å"Get wisdom, get understanding†¦Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding† (Proverbs, 4: 5-7, King James Version). Therefore, the psychoanalysis-based counseling can be referred to as such that is being thoroughly consistent with how Bible addresses the very notion of enlightenment. The psychoanalytical model of personality stresses out the fact that one’s existential stance never ceases being affected by the workings of his or her unconscious. In their turn, these workings reflect the specifics of the concerned individual’s psychosexual stages of development, commonly referred to as oral, anal and phallic. Ever since their early years, individuals get to be endowed with a number of libidinal drives, which prompt them to unconsciously seek sensual pleasures. The quali tative subtleties of how people seek sensual pleasures are being spatially reflective of the maturing process, on their part. In turn, this process become affected by the socially constructed obstacles of the way of growing individuals exploring their libidinal urges – hence, strengthening the acuteness of people’s inadequateness-related anxieties. Consequently, the unconscious feeling of being inadequate, in terms of how one goes about exploring its sexuality, causes the concerned individual to experience the sensation of an irrational guilt. As a mean of lessening the severity of this emotionally disturbing sensation, he or she often resorts to acting in a particularly aggressive manner. Thus, the psychoanalytical model of personality presupposes the existence of dialectically predetermined links between what accounts for the essence of people’s latent sexual anxieties, on the one hand, and the socially observable particulars of their behavior, on the other. I n other words, in the social context of this word, the theory psychoanalysis refers to the knowledge of sexuality, as a foundation for all other types of knowledge. Such point of view is being consistent with Biblical perspective on the importance of sexuality. After all, Bible does refer to the act of a sexual intercourse as such that entails both partners with the rudimentary knowledge of everything.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Counselling Theory of Freudian Psychoanalysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As McClelland (1959) noted, â€Å"In Hebrew the word for ‘knowing’ (yada) can have a sexual connotation as is illustrated by the English translation of the verse ‘and Adam knew Eve his wife’†¦ in Biblical tradition, ‘knowledge’ is intimately associated with sexual knowledge† (p. 47). Therefore, theologically speaking, there is nothing wrong abo ut the psychoanalysis’s actual subject matter. The psychoanalytical approach to counseling presupposes that the extent of one’s healthiness is being reflective of the extent of his or her cognitive/perceptional self-awareness. That is, the more a particular individual is being capable of understanding the innermost cause of its mental anxieties, the more he or she will be capable of effectively addressing them. In its turn, this state of affairs implies that it is only people capable of counter-balancing their emotionally destructive libidinal urges with the sheer strength of their commitment to leading thoroughly enlightened lifestyles, which may enjoy mental and physical well-being, in the first place. In other words – the actual key to healthiness is one’s ability to address life-challenges in a thoroughly responsible and yet natural manner, without becoming preoccupied with too much of a self-reflecting thinking, â€Å"Be not righteous over much; nei ther take thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?† (Ecclesiastes, 7: 16-18). This once again suggests the theory of psychoanalysis being compatible with Christianity. One of the foremost triggers of an individual’s mental abnormality psychoanalysts consider such an individual’s prolonged exposure to the socially and very often religiously enforced rules of a ‘moral’ behavior. After all, it does not represent much of a secret that a considerable bulk of these rules are being concerned with establishing preconditions for the observable manifestations of people’s sexuality to be considered shameful and consequently – the subject of a societal repression.Advertising Looking for critical writing on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In its turn, this explains the mechanics of how seemingly healthy individuals grow ever more mentally unstable, â€Å"The goal of (sexual) repression is ‘keeping something out of consciousness’. But that which was banished retains its attached affect; rather than fade away, that affect and the energy it represents continually press upward, attempting to return to consciousness† (Volney, 1982, p. 154). Therefore, through the psychoanalysis’s conceptual lenses, the root of people’s psychological anxieties appears to be socially upheld moralistic dogmas. In this respect, psychoanalysts could not agree more with Jesus, who never skipped an opportunity to criticize Pharisees’ hypocritical commitment to following the outdated principles of a religious morality, as a main prerequisite of salvation, â€Å"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves† (Mathew 23:15). After all, it is a well-known fact that the majority of notorious sexual predators/serial killers have been brought up in strongly religious families, while being continually indoctrinated to believe that a mere mentioning of male or female genitals constitutes a great ‘sin’. The role of psychoanalytical psychotherapy is best discussed within the context of how its practical application may help patients to improve the state of their emotional well-being. The actual process of psychotherapy is being concerned with patients attending councilor’s office and reflecting upon a number of response-provocative subject matters, mentioned by the councilor (Murdock, 2009). In this respect, the application of free association and dream analysis techniques comes in particularly handy. By being exposed to how patients construct consciousness-free associations, councilors are able to pin point the subliminal causes of em otional anxieties, on their part. The same can be said about the technique of dream analysis. According to Freud, one’s dreams serve the function of satisfying his or her unconscious urges by the mean of providing them with a semi-conscious form. Therefore, while analyzing the content of a particular patient’s dreams, councilors gain an in-depth insight as to what could be considered the possible triggers of the counseled individual’s mental inadequateness. Even though that, as it was mentioned earlier, a psychoanalytical approach to counseling presupposes that it is possible to ‘disassemble’ one’s soul down to its integral components, which contradicts Christian conceptualization of soul, as something that simply cannot be ‘taken apart’, the sheer effectiveness of psychoanalytical therapies cannot be doubted. In its turn, this allows us to conclude that the fact that there are indeed a number of inconsistencies between Bible and psychoanalysis simply reflects the limited scope of Biblical themes and motifs. This, however, does not make Holy Book any less credible. Alternatively, it does not make the theory of psychoanalysis any less credible, as well. After all, Jesus himself provided us with a number of allegorical instructions as to how evil may be distinguished from good, â€Å"Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit† (Mathew 7: 17-18). Given the fact that, as we pointed out earlier, the practical application of psychoanalysis, throughout the course of history, did help many people to get rid of their life-impending anxieties, there can be few doubts that this particular approach to counseling is indeed being in favor with God. It is understood, of course, that the application of psychoanalysis, as a part of providing patients with Christian couns eling, may be deemed inappropriate. At the same time, however, there are many objective reasons to believe that this practice is being thoroughly attuned with Christianity’s ongoing transformation from being concerned with strictly theological issues to being concerned with how people’s exposure to Bible can help them to enjoy a high-quality living (Lines, 2002). Even though that, as of today, psychoanalytical counseling is being assumed rather unaffordable by many patients; there is no good rationale in believing that this will continue being the case into the future. After all, an ongoing progress in the field of counseling has now attained a clearly defined exponential momentum. This is another reason why I think it is being only the matter of time, before Christianity and psychoanalysis will cease being regarded mutually incompatible. I believe this conclusion is being thoroughly consistent with the paper’s initial thesis. References Hoffman, M. (2007). From libido to love: Relational psychoanalysis and the redemption of sexuality. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 35 (1), 74-82. Holy Bible: King James Version. (1996). New York: American Bible Society. Jones, S. Butman, R. (1991). Modern psychotherapies: A comprehensive  Christian appraisal. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. Lines, D. (2002). Counseling within a new spiritual paradigm. Journal of  Humanistic Psychology, 42 (3), 102-123. McClelland, D. (1959). Religious overtones in Psychoanalysis. Theology Today, 16 (1), 40-64. Murdock, N. (2009). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy: A case approach  (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Volney, G. (1982). Repression and sublimation in religious personalities. Journal  of Religion and Health, 21 (2),152-170. This critical writing on Counselling Theory of Freudian Psychoanalysis was written and submitted by user Samiyah Suarez to help you with your own studies. 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