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Theories in Psychology

Psychoanalysis

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Basics | Iceberg | Psyche | Psychosexual Stages | Defense Mechanisms | Additional Concepts | Additional Reading 

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Psychoanalysis 101
The Birth of Modern Therapeutic Practice
Who to Know
1890, Vienna
The theory of psychoanalysis was founded by Sigmund Freud, a neurologist in 1890's, Vienna. Other psychologists followed, to include Alfred Adler, Josef Breuer, Erik Erikson, Fairbairn, Karen Horney, Melanie Klein, Carl Jung, Heniz Kohut, Hermann Rorschach and Sigmund's daughter Anna Freud.
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What to Know
Definition
This set of therapeutic theories focuses on revealing the processes occuring in the unconscious mind as a form of treatment of mental disorders. It particularly likes to focus on childhood events that influence adulthood behaviors.
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Populations
What does it treat?
It was designed for "neurotic" or "hysterical" patients, which has a very sordid history. Today this theory is used with populations suffering from compulsive behaviors, psychosomatic illness and sexual dysfunction.
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Art Therapists
Names to Know
Here is a list of prominent art therapists who utilize this theory: Bob Ault, Florence Cane, G. Champernowne, Mary Huntoon, Irene Jakab, Edith Kramer, M. Levick, Margaret Naumburg (perhaps the most influenced by it), and E. Ulman.
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Core Concepts

The Iceberg
Above the water
Consciousness
This is where sentience lies. Here you are awake and aware of yourself and where you are. Reading this right now? Yep! That's your consciousness.
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Below the surface
Pre-Conscious
This level lies just beneath your consciousness, which includes freely accessible memories and emotions.
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In the depths
Unconscious
At this level lies the inaccessible memories and inner workings that influence your thoughts, behaviors and emotions.
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Psyche
The Three Person Act
Psyche
The psyche, i.e. personality, is made of three parts that are constantly in a balancing act. If imbalanced problems can arise as mental disturbances.
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The Angel
AKA Superego
This part is focused on being socially and morally acceptable. It prevents you from acting in a way that would make it hard to live in society.
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The Human
AKA Ego
The monkey in the middle, who must find balance between the demands of the ID and the Superego. This is the conscious self just trying to navigate through the day.
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The Devil
AKA ID
The ID is a primitive part of the self that is focused on impulses and basic needs. Freud connected this part to his concept of the "Pleasure Principle" which you can learn more about below.
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Psychosexual Stages
Developmental Theory
Infamous Stages
Freud's theorized developmental stages that were driven by the ID and if disrupted can lead to negative behavioral fixations, according to Freud, which is highly disregarded or debated today.
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Oral
Birth to First Year
As infants the mouth is how we explore the world, find pleasure and develop relationships with caregivers. Disruption during this phase by either having too much or too little satisfaction can cause oral fixations to form. This can present as a smoking habit or a infant-like overdependence.
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Anal
First to Third Year
A preoccupation with this area occurs during the potty-training years. During this time if training doesn't go well then this can lead to adults who are "anal", or alternatively greedy and messy.
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Phallic
Third to Sixth Year
During this age children are learning that males and females are different, thus there is a focus on the genitals. Trouble during this phase can allegedly cause emotional issues regarding morals, gender, sex and deviant sexual behavior.
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Latency
Six Years to Puberty
This period is marked by a tapering off of any sexual focuses and focus turns to school and play.
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Genital
Puberty to Adulthood
As kids become teens, the last phase picks back up with the influx of hormones. A lot happens in this phase such as learning socially acceptable behaviors, work, dating and eventually marriage. According to Freud, the spouse substitutes the opposite-sex parent who was formally the unknowing object of desire during early childhood.
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Defense Mechanisms

Psychoanalysis

These are psychological “strategies” that are unwittingly utilized in order to protect a person from the stress that can come from “unacceptable” inner thoughts or feelings. It’s important to note that not all defense mechanisms are negative, that is just a misconception. 

Acting Out
To engage in certain actions rather than sit with one's feelings. Think of a child that "acts out" in class because life is unbearable tense at home.
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Aim Inhibition
The acceptance of a modified or alternative version of one's original goals. For example, if one couldn't become a professional football player so they coach instead.
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Altruism
The act of helping others to satisfy one's own internal needs. Think of a recovering addict who volunteer their time to help other addicts.
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Avoidance
A refusal to deal with something, so one goes out of their way to get around it. Think of someone who will do anything, including cut all contact, rather than confront someone else about a problem.
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Compensation
The need to overachieve in a specific area in order to "make up for" perceived shortcomings or failures. This could present as a student who struggles socially, so they put all their focus in excelling academically.
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Denial
To outright refuse to recognize something happened or that something is wrong. Think of an abused wife who will not admit they are being abused.
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Displacement
To take one's feelings out on something else, usually other people. This could be a disgruntled husband who takes their work frustrations out on their spouse.
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Dissociation
To mentally check out from one's physical experience. This commonly can occur to those who have survived a traumatic event - they can appear to emotionally "shut down" if faced with a reminder of their trauma.
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Escapism
To avoid one's troubles by retreating to a safe place. Think of those who retreat to video games to escape the stresses of life. This can be a negative or positive strategy, depending on circumstance.
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Humor
Finding ways to joke about a situation. A common feature of many popular comedians, and is seen as a mostly positive strategy.
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Intellectualization
To become clinical or even overly logical when thinking about a stressful thing. Think of someone who focuses solely on arranging the funeral instead of processing their grief.
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Passive-Aggression
To indirectly express one's anger, usually in petty ways. Think of a friend who gives you the silent treatment instead of just telling you their are upset.
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Projection
Claiming someone else possesses the unacceptable traits that you yourself possess. This can be seen in someone who claims their spouse is cheating when it is actually them.
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Rationalization
To justify an behavior with logic. For example, if one was denied a home loan, so they claim its for the best because the house was too big anyways.
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Reaction Formation
To replace an impulse with the opposite. This can present as someone who acts happy about a breakup when they are really upset about it.
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Regression
To revert back to behaviors, typically from childhood. Think of someone who still has a comfort plushie they hug when stressed.
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Repression
Unconsciously pushing unpleasant thoughts or feelings from your conscious awareness. In extreme cases this can present as deeply repressed memories seen in trauma cases.
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Sublimation
Changing unacceptable impulses into more positive alternatives. Think of someone who goes for a walk in place of getting into a heated argument.
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Undoing
To try to make up for one's negative behaviors. Think of a mom getting her kid a gift after unfairly punishing them.
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Additional Concepts
Catharsis
Simply, an emotional release. In art therapy art is used to achieve catharsis, but this can also be done in other ways such as crying during the emotional climax of a movie, or going to a destruction room to release aggression.
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Complexes
This describes a grouping of experiences that informs certain behaviors. An infamous example comes from Freud's idea of the Oedipal Complex, or the unconscious desire in children for the opposite-sex parent.
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Dream Symbolism
Freud believed certain symbols in one's dreams can reveal what is happening in the unconscious. This is a disputed concept in psychology.
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Free Association
A practice in psychoanalysis that allows a person to freely share their immediate thoughts regarding certain words, images or in general conversation.
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Object Relations
Put very simply, patterns repeat themselves in life. These repeated events turn into "objects" in the unconscious and informs one's behaviors.
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Projective Tests
A type of personality test that allows the person to respond to ambiguous prompts in order to reveal unconscious thoughts. A famous example of this includes the Rorschach Inkblot test, and the Draw-a-Person test.
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Repetition-Compulsion
The unconscious tendency to repeat cycles, or traumatic circumstances. This can occur as a literal reenactment or in dreams.
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Transference
A critical concept in therapy to this day; transference is the subconscious projection of one's feelings regarding someone else on the therapist. This often occurs in the form of the therapist being a standing for one's mother or father figure.
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Psychoanalysis

Other Things to Read Up On...

Psychoanalysis

Analytical Psychology, Art as Therapy, Art Psychotherapy, Attunement, Coherence Therapy, Compensation, Depth Therapy, Dynamically Oriented Art Therapy,  Existential Therapy, Fairbairn Theory, Feminine Psychology, Inferiority Complex, Metasystems, Mentalization, Object Constancy, Oedipal Complex, Self Psychology, Sublimation, Symbolic Speech