Why Might Freudian Therapy be a Waste of Time and Money Essay -- Psych

In his book Des Bienfaits de la Depression, Pierre Fà ©dida wrote a chapter called 'Il Faut Etre Deux Pour Guà ©rir' in which he explains why it is useful to talk when you are depressed.20 Patients usually believe that talking is not the solution but that the only way to cure is to bring back the lost person/situation whose absence initially caused the trauma. Psychological pain is a human particularity and therapy is meant to heal it. Fà ©dida uses the example of drug addicts who go on detoxification. Addiction to drugs often reveals an alarming state of depression and the fact of undergoing treatment for drug addiction is the sign of distress and will to be saved. Freud used to underline how human beings have created for themselves an interior metaphorical discourse to express extremely violent issues such as love, hate, life, death, sexuality...21 Analytical cure sight-reads this metaphorical language. Patients have the tendency to try and cure themselves alone but therapy helps substract the patient to his own influence, free his from his own desease. Therapy requires the participation of two actors and recovery cannot take place if the therapist does not understand his patient's psychology and resistance to healing.22 Freud focused on studying the opposition to healing and resistance to treatment when increasing his knowledge about unconscious forces. The therapist defines healing as the goal creating the patient's resistances. Thoses resistances to therapy can be explained as follows : the fact of being cured corresponds to a change of state. Negative reactions to treatment are thus explained by a fear of losing internal integrity and eventually disintegrating. The fear of modification is extremely strong. In 1904, Freud... ...Jacob : 2001) FREUD, SIGMUND, An Outline of Psychoanalysis, (W.W. Norton & Company : New York – London), Standard Edition, 1949, vol. 23 MIJOLLA de, Alain, Dictionnaire International de la Psychanalyse, (Hachette Littà ©ratures : 2005) ARTICLES CASEMENT, Patrick, 'Beyond words – the role of psychoanalysis', The Psychologist, 2009, vol. 22, 5th May LEVY, R. & ABLON, J., 'Talk therapy: Off the couch and into the lab', 2010 WAN, William, 'Freud coming into fashion in China, Treating China's syndromes', Washington Post, October 11th 2010 WEBSITES ETHAN, 'Psychoanalysis: From Theory to Practice, Past to Present', Northwestern University http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/plaut.html http://www.psywww.com/intropsych/ch13_therapies/psychoanalysis.html http://www.apsa.org/About_Psychoanalysis/Low-Fee_Clinics.aspx http://www.npap.org/intro/faqs.html Why Might Freudian Therapy be a Waste of Time and Money Essay -- Psych In his book Des Bienfaits de la Depression, Pierre Fà ©dida wrote a chapter called 'Il Faut Etre Deux Pour Guà ©rir' in which he explains why it is useful to talk when you are depressed.20 Patients usually believe that talking is not the solution but that the only way to cure is to bring back the lost person/situation whose absence initially caused the trauma. Psychological pain is a human particularity and therapy is meant to heal it. Fà ©dida uses the example of drug addicts who go on detoxification. Addiction to drugs often reveals an alarming state of depression and the fact of undergoing treatment for drug addiction is the sign of distress and will to be saved. Freud used to underline how human beings have created for themselves an interior metaphorical discourse to express extremely violent issues such as love, hate, life, death, sexuality...21 Analytical cure sight-reads this metaphorical language. Patients have the tendency to try and cure themselves alone but therapy helps substract the patient to his own influence, free his from his own desease. Therapy requires the participation of two actors and recovery cannot take place if the therapist does not understand his patient's psychology and resistance to healing.22 Freud focused on studying the opposition to healing and resistance to treatment when increasing his knowledge about unconscious forces. The therapist defines healing as the goal creating the patient's resistances. Thoses resistances to therapy can be explained as follows : the fact of being cured corresponds to a change of state. Negative reactions to treatment are thus explained by a fear of losing internal integrity and eventually disintegrating. The fear of modification is extremely strong. In 1904, Freud... ...Jacob : 2001) FREUD, SIGMUND, An Outline of Psychoanalysis, (W.W. Norton & Company : New York – London), Standard Edition, 1949, vol. 23 MIJOLLA de, Alain, Dictionnaire International de la Psychanalyse, (Hachette Littà ©ratures : 2005) ARTICLES CASEMENT, Patrick, 'Beyond words – the role of psychoanalysis', The Psychologist, 2009, vol. 22, 5th May LEVY, R. & ABLON, J., 'Talk therapy: Off the couch and into the lab', 2010 WAN, William, 'Freud coming into fashion in China, Treating China's syndromes', Washington Post, October 11th 2010 WEBSITES ETHAN, 'Psychoanalysis: From Theory to Practice, Past to Present', Northwestern University http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/plaut.html http://www.psywww.com/intropsych/ch13_therapies/psychoanalysis.html http://www.apsa.org/About_Psychoanalysis/Low-Fee_Clinics.aspx http://www.npap.org/intro/faqs.html

Developing and applying theories in a pluralistic society – The Person Centred Method

For this assignment I will be considering Carl Roger's person centred method and it's application to lesbian women in a pluralist society, I will be drawing upon the theoretical frame work previously used in my presentation. Carl Rogers (1902-1987) was the founder of the person centred method his theories are associated with the Humanistic psychology it is also associated with Maslow(1908-1970) and phenomenological approach. Phenomenology is a philosophical assessment of the individual it was developed by Husserl (1975), the focus is on the subjective experience. The method involved requires the professional to suspend their assumption and interpretation of the client's world, thereby allowing the client to interpret and explore their own experiences and thoughts. It is important to consider the context in which psychological theories conceptualised and developed. Humanistic psychology developed in the industrial age and in the 50's and 60's it therefore places great importance on the individual as a person striving for independence, self actualisation and their maximum potential. Dryden et al (1989) have also given an outline of the origins of the humanistic theory, that these were in the affluent era of the 50's and 60's in California, terms such as self actualisation, can be just a ‘slogan' that is applied without any real meaning, when contrasted between the prosperous, optimistic society of California, it can have a different meaning for those people that are in poverty are unemployed or homeless. The concept of self actualisation which is considered necessary by psychologists such as Rogers can be explored in relation to lesbian women and how society conceptualises them. Homosexuality has been viewed by psychotherapists and psychiatrists as a mental illness, and was considered as such until 1974 when the American Psychiatric Association declassified it, however there was considerable opposition to this from psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, and ‘medical model' psychiatrists ( Mcleod J, 1998), in-fact psychotherapy was used to try to ‘cure' homosexuality. Although the work of Rogers' has encouraged progress and has been associated with movement away from the previous medical model of mental illness, one the draw backs of Rogerian person centred therapy out lined by Ivey et al (1997) is that it is a ‘highly verbal' technique, which is over-concerned with the deeper meaning of life rather than tackling problems and finding solutions. Therefore it may not be suited to all clients especially those with mental health problems etc. Roger's therapy known as ‘person centred' and non-directive aimed to change the balance of power towards that of the client, and to treat the individual as a ‘client' rather than a patient. However this point can be debated as to whether the balance of power is actually shifted and the control is with the recipient, rather than the provider of the therapy. Criticism of therapies, such as Rogerian, psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural according to Ivey et al (1997) is that they place responsibility for the problem with the client rather than considering structural, political and environmental issues that are relevant to the clients experience. The person centred method in relation to lesbian women needs to be applied in a way that is sensitive to them, therefore if the counsellor is male he will need to be aware that he does not impose his own assumptions and interpretation onto the client, firstly about his ideas about women's roles within society and as nurturers, wives and mothers, secondly stereotypical perceptions about lesbianism. Feminists criticise models of the helping relationship which have their origins in the white middle class male ideology, they relate this to the way a patriarchal society oppresses women into submissive roles, Banks (1999) also questions whether male therapists can validate a female clients experiences in a male dominated society. Hetro-sexual women can also oppress lesbians through negative assumptions and homophobia that can lead to imposing our own values and assumptions about lesbian relationships, McLeod (1998) gives a good example where a female therapist tried to actively encourage her lesbian client to date men. The person centred approach places particular emphasis on the use of the core conditions, genuiness, unconditional positive regard and empathy, and its view of human nature is positive and optimistic in comparison to Freudian psychology. The core conditions out lined by Rogers plays an essential part in building a therapeutic relationship, between the therapist and the client. From my professional experience when working as education social worker relating to a teenage pregnancy, the girl was fifteen years old and Asian. I was surprised when she said that she thought she was a lesbian, however working with the young person and applying Rogers core conditions, of genuiness, empathy and unconditional positive regard, enabled me to realize that people need to discover their sexuality and who the real person is; society can place pressure on young people to conform to the norms of a white, heterosexual society and thereby place conditions of worth on them. Unconditional positive regard which is accepting the clients experiences without judgment is essential in building a therapeutic relationship, however if the counsellor has absorbed negative, homophobic assumptions about homosexuality, from the society that he/she lives in then these may consciously or unconsciously be transferred on to the client. Humanistic psychotherapist Don Clark (1987) has expressed that therapeutic neutrality is impossible to maintain, since we have taken on board society's negative stereotypes of homosexuality, he has stated that â€Å"it is presumptuous to assume that counsellors who have been taught about valuable concepts such as unconditional positive regard are able to apply them with gay-lesbian clients if they are not aware of their own heterosexual or homophobia biases† (Davies and Neal,1996) A lesbian women may for example find it difficult to come to terms with her own sexuality, because of negative stereotypes and stigma associated with it, â€Å"Lesbian women are raised to view themselves as a half person without a man, they may see marriage as a door to personal growth, adult hood, freedom, and motherhood†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ( Davies and Neal,1996) the counsellor may therefore need to enable the lesbian woman to restore her self esteem and her concept of being a woman, the traditional female roles, as mother and wife may not be stereotypes that she aspires to. The impact of Homophobia on the self concept of a lesbian woman will create conditions of worth, therefore lesbians may feel they are not worthy individuals if they are not heterosexual, do not have children, have a male partner and behave as society expects women to do. Bradshaw (1998) has defined the concept of ‘Toxic shame' in relation to internalised homophobia within the self-concept. This notion cannot be fully understood without the use of a more eclectic approach to counselling because it states that the self concept can become, fragile and a false self concept can develop, through denial, this may be conscious or unconscious but it will be due to the fear of discovery. Toxic shame can lead to the development of defences which can lead to alcohol, substance abuse, suicide attempts, distancing oneself from others, underachievement or over-achievement etc. Being functional or dysfunctional human being is particularly relevant to how lesbian women's identity and self concept develops, becoming functional human being requires being able to use ones own organismic valuing process, which maximises the potential to grow and become the true self. The dysfunctional human being lives to meet the values of others to acquire love and respect. Coming out as a lesbian therefore is fraught with anxiety and even danger of rejection by family, friends and community. The primary question is will they be valued by society if they come out as Lesbian? The organismic need to come out and be accepted as a lesbian should be facilitated by the therapist to enable the client to accept their real identity; however the client should be ready to do this in her own time. Therefore acceptance from the therapist or social worker or other professional is an essential first step. However therapists as well as other professionals such as social workers can easily oppress lesbian women, an example from my practice experience when working with the Education Welfare service in a case where the child was not attending school regularly, during the home visit the client revealed that her relationship with her husband had broken down and that she had started a lesbian relationship, this immediately led me to make the assumption that the child's non-attendance may be related to this new relationship. On reflection I noticed how easy it was to jump to a conclusion relating to same sex relationships and would I have made the same assumption if the relationship was with a partner of the opposite sex? Drawing from my own experience I notice how easily professionals from helping organisations can make assumptions that can lead to discrimination and oppression, when working in a refuge for vulnerable women that had been the victims of domestic violence, a Black woman with four children came to the centre it was assumed automatically by the member of staff taking down her history that the abusive partner was male. The woman found that she had to explain that she was in a lesbian relationship, and the abusive partner was another woman. This is a good example where social assumptions and stereotypes where women are perceived to be submissive, passive individuals that are the victims of domestic violence rather than the perpetrators of it. It also shows that assumptions are made by professionals regarding relationships that a partner automatically means someone of the opposite sex. The person centred method when applied to lesbians need to take into account the experience of the individual as a woman and also as lesbian her experience needs to be valued and respected, this method if used effectively according to Rogers, can build up the self -worth and self acceptance. However Davies and Neal (1996) state that few British training courses in counselling or psychotherapy cover working with lesbian, gay and bi-sexual people. They propose a model of gay affirmative therapy; this should be incorporated into other theoretical methods such as humanistic and psychodynamic etc. â€Å"Gay affirmative therapy is not an independent system of psychotherapy. Rather it represents a special range of psychological knowledge which challenges the traditional views†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Davies and Neal (1996) Gay affirmative therapy is an eclectic model that incorporates both theories. 2 important factors pointed out by Davies and Neal is firstly whether the counsellor is competent to counsel the homosexual individual, and secondly that it is important for the counsellor to examine their own ‘ideas about values, moral and lifestyles when working with clients who are culturally different'. This is the important factor of genuiness or congruence that Rogers has defined, Kus (1990), states that a therapist should be open and honest about personal prejudices that they hold about homosexuality, and refer clients on, however congruence can be much more difficult in practice, if the therapist or the client with holds information from each other in the relationship. Empathy is also an important core condition that was noted by Rogers with in the person centred approach, it is a deep understanding of the clients personal perspective of their problems, however it can be argued whether a heterosexual person can fully understand what it feels like to be a lesbian, similarly can a white person fully understand what it feels like to be black? This question exposes the difficulty of cross-cultural counselling, especially if the counsellor or therapist is unaware of the their own prejudice for e.g. non-verbal behaviour, body language or are ignorant about the issues for lesbian women. However it is important for professionals such as therapists not to assume that all lesbians need counselling for coming to terms with their sexuality, counselling may be required for a wide range of other issues as with hetero sexual women. R.J, Kus (1990) states that one of the most frequent criticism concerning helping professionals is that they get ‘fixated' upon the homosexual life style and lose sight of the issues the help is being sought for, this means that the therapist assumes that the life style is the problem, despite the client stating other issues that help is sought for. The Humanistic perspective has contributed to social work practice by providing valuable criteria working in anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory way with service users, the most useful contribution is the person centred approach, which facilitates building of genuine helping relationship and listening to the service user. It also acknowledges that the client is expert on his/her particular problems. The person centred method has many positive aspects that can be used by social workers and other helping professionals, and aspects of this model can be incorporated with other theories to provide an eclectic model that can be used effectively by them. For example the humanistic person centred method is a valuable tool to build warm, respecting and trusting relationship with clients such as lesbian women, it will facilitate understanding their present situation, and how they view them selves within society and explore their organismic needs. Aspects of the psychodynamic approach may be useful in the enabling the client to explore their unconscious feelings and motives, whilst multicultural perspectives, acknowledge the cultural background and identity of the individual. I think that for anti-discriminatory social work practice that can empower the individual an eclectic model may be the most useful approach in a helping relationship.

How to Get Rid of Chiggers in Your Yard

Chiggers are the larval form of adult mites in the genus Trombicula that are also known as harvest mites, harvest lice, and red bugs. They thrive worldwide in hot, humid areas. In the United States, theyre a nuisance in the southern and midwestern states, typically in the spring, summer, and fall, but every state has them. Chiggers are nearly microscopic. They measure a mere 1/150th of an inch  and, while theyre often impossible to see with the human eye, they can be felt well after they have bored tiny holes into your skin with their sharp, jawlike claws to feast on skin cells. Their skin-dissolving saliva leaves itchy, welt-like hives that often last for days. The good news: There are ways to track, rid, and prevent them. If you think youve got chiggers on your property, use the following as your guide: Don protective clothing and repellent and take back your land from the biting enemy. And know that you are not the only one tracking chiggers in your yard. Theyre food for various species of ants, beetles, centipedes, spiders, birds, and a lot of other small creatures. What Do Chiggers Look Like? Chiggers are arachnids, and up close they look like a cross between a crab and a spider in a range of warm colors, from straw to yellow, to orange and red. With a magnifying glass, you might see them in groups on a blade of grass or low-hanging leaf. You might find them moving on your legs—or maybe just see the welts from their bites. Note: The larvae have six legs and are the ones that bite (adults have eight legs). How to Dress for Chiggers Your first step, of course, should be confirming that you have a chigger infestation in your yard. If youve experienced the incessant itching of  chigger bites  after spending time outdoors, youll know it. But if you arent sure about the cause, you can do a  quick test  to confirm the offending pests are, indeed, chiggers. Before you check your property, its recommended that you cover as much of your skin as you can. Loose-fitting shirts and pants with a tight-woven fabric are best. Tuck pants into thick socks and tall shoes or boots. Button collars and cuffs. Use an insect repellent containing DEET on skin and clothing, and if you want extra protection, dust your socks and the inside of your shoes with sulfur powder. When you are done with your investigation, and before going back to your house, check for chiggers by brushing off your clothes and examining the edges of your clothing where it meets your skin. You may even want to discard your clothes outside before going into the house. Put them in a plastic bag until you can get them into a hot wash. Then take a hot shower. How to Find Chiggers Most chiggers prefer moist, shady areas with thick vegetation, so focus your investigative efforts on these types of places in your yard. Dont bother searching for chiggers in areas that get full sun  or where you keep the lawn mowed short. To begin your search, youll need one or more squares of black cardboard, each about 6x6 inches. Stand the cardboard squares on edge in areas where you suspect chiggers may be. Leave the squares in place for several minutes. Then, look closely at the cardboard. If chiggers are present, they will climb up the cardboard and gather near the top. The chiggers will be tiny and either red or yellow in color, so you should be able to easily see them against the black backdrop. Another way to find them: Leave a shallow bowl of water in the grass for a few minutes. Look for chiggers congregating around the rim. You may need a magnifying glass to see them. Get Rid of Chiggers in the Yard If you find a heavy infestation of chiggers, its time to eliminate their habitat. The good news is that widespread use of pesticides to get rid of chiggers is rarely required or recommended. However, the solution does involve yard work. Because most chiggers prefer moist, shady areas with thick vegetation, these are the areas that will involve the most work. (Note: Some species do like dry areas, so keep that in mind.) Youll be tackling prime chigger habitats, including overgrown lawns, ground covers, leaf litter, weedy areas, and densely planted shrubs or trees. Chiggers tend to cluster in certain areas because  the small females lay their eggs in one location. You may find an abundance of chiggers in one area and a complete lack of them in an equally suitable area nearby. That said, you may have less work than you think you do. So how do you get rid of chiggers in your yard? Maintain a neat and tidy landscape, specifically: Mow your lawn regularly and keep it short, especially around the edges where the grass meets landscape beds or woody areas.Keep landscape beds weeded and remove accumulated leaf litter.Trim and prune landscape plants regularly to keep them from becoming overgrown.Remove brush piles from your property.Because chiggers avoid sunny areas, eliminating shade in your yard can reduce chigger populations. If you feel you absolutely must treat your property for chiggers with pesticides, please  do so responsibly and safely: Contact your local cooperative extension office to get information about which pesticides work best for chiggers in your area  and how to safely apply them.Always follow all directions on pesticide labels. Remember, the label is the law.Treat only areas of your yard where chiggers are confirmed to live.Dont overuse pesticides by treating your entire lawn or yard.Chigger control usually requires multiple applications of pesticides during the spring.Keep children and pets off treated areas until they have dried completely. Dont allow animals to eat treated plants. Get Rid of Chiggers on You You might find little red bumps on your legs or see the bugs themselves. Pay particular attention to searching necklines, shirt and pant cuffs, and the tops of your socks.  If bumps or chiggers are found, wash your skin with soap and water in the bath or shower, and wash your clothes in hot water. Also, throw in  the wash any towels or blankets that touched the ground. The bumps will go away with hydrocortisone cream, allergy medication, or rarely, a steroid injection given by your doctor and antibiotics if the sores become infected.   Get Rid of Chiggers on Pets Wipe off  your pets face with a soft cloth or vet-recommended wipe. Longer, denser  fur should keep the rest of its body protected. If your pet gets bitten, give it a warm bath. Seek treatment for itching from your vet, as home remedies added to bathwater that are espoused online may not work.  Bathing your pet with soaps that contain flea and tick repellants can help prevent chigger bites. Get Rid of Chiggers Indoors Hot water helps rid your house of chiggers as well. Clean with soapy water thats at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also use a carpet shampooer that has a heat setting.  To help prevent them from coming back, just vacuum regularly.