Question

Josne's therapist asks her to recount a violent dream she recently experienced in order to gain insight into the unconscious forces affecting her behavior. Jeanne's therapist is working from a ________ perspective.

Short answer

Psychodynamic perspective

Step-by-step solution

Understand the Method

Firstly, it is crucial to identify the method the therapist is using. The therapist is analyzing Jeanne's dreams to discover hidden or unconscious feelings and thoughts. This method is known as dream analysis.

Related Perspective to Method

In the second step, connect this method to the psychotherapy perspective it aligns with. Dream analysis is most commonly associated with the Psychodynamic perspective.

Final Answer

Upon understanding the method and relating it to a perspective, it can be concluded that Jeanne's therapist is working from a Psychodynamic perspective.

Key concepts

Dream Analysis

Dream analysis is a fascinating aspect of the Psychodynamic perspective. It involves examining the content of dreams to unlock hidden meanings and uncover unconscious desires and conflicts. Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, believed that dreams are the "royal road to the unconscious," revealing hidden but important feelings and wishes.
Dream analysis involves interpreting both the manifest content and the latent content of the dream:

• Manifest Content: This is what you remember from the dream. It's the storyline or events that seem coherent but sometimes bizarre.
• Latent Content: This is the hidden psychological meaning of the dream. It's what the manifest content symbolizes and represents.

Dream analysis helps therapists explore significant personal issues and underlying motivations. By discussing a dream's manifest content and digging into its latent meaning, therapists can guide a person to better understand their unconscious thoughts and feelings. This process can lead to greater self-awareness and positive changes in the patient's life.

Unconscious Forces

Unconscious forces are central to the Psychodynamic perspective and explain the unseen influences that affect behavior and feelings. They consist of feelings, desires, and memories we aren't aware of but that impact our daily lives.
Freud posited that the human psyche is structured like an iceberg:

• Conscious Mind: The tip of the iceberg. It contains thoughts and perceptions we are currently aware of.
• Preconscious Mind: Just beneath the surface, it holds information easily brought to awareness.
• Unconscious Mind: The vast, submerged part. It is the powerhouse of the psyche, holding repressed thoughts, memories, and desires that influence behavior.

Unconscious forces drive much of our behavior through defense mechanisms such as repression, denial, and projection. These mechanisms protect the psyche from distressing thoughts and experiences. By using techniques like dream analysis, therapists can help individuals bring unconscious thoughts into consciousness, allowing them to understand and work through them.

Therapy Methods

Therapy methods within the Psychodynamic perspective aim to bring the unconscious to the conscious. They are meant to help individuals understand their internal conflicts, desires, and motivations that are often hidden below the surface.
The most common Psychodynamic therapy techniques include:

• Free Association: Clients are encouraged to speak freely about thoughts, feelings, dreams, and memories. The therapist listens and identifies patterns or underlying issues.
• Interpretation: The therapist interprets the material shared by the client, pointing out hidden meanings and psychological processes affecting the client.
• Transference: Clients often project feelings about important people in their lives onto the therapist. Recognizing these projections can help solve past emotional issues.
• Dream Analysis: This technique fits into multiple therapy formats and involves exploring dreams to reveal unconscious thoughts.

These methods are rooted in the belief that internal conflicts and past experiences shape current behavior and emotions. The goal is to build self-awareness and develop better coping strategies for personal challenges.