1. Counselling Skills – Level 2 week 11
Counselling Theories and Psychodynamic Counselling

2. Aims and Objectives
Aim: To consider the nature and importance of theories in counselling To explore the psychodynamic approach

3. Session Objectives
Participate and reflect upon a group check-in Recognise the nature and importance of counselling theories. Explore some of the key features of Psychodynamic Counselling Participate in an experiential exercise relating to dreams Consider the role of “defence mechanisms” or “ego defence mechanisms” in our own lives Recognise some key features of psychodynamic counselling described on a contemporary counselling web-site.

4. Counselling Theories What is a counselling theory?
Why are theories important in counselling?

5. Counselling Theories
“All people who counsel operate from theoretical frameworks about how clients become the way they are, how they maintain their problems and how they are helped to change”
Richard Nelson-Jones
Theory and Practise of Counselling

6. Four Main Elements of Theories
A statement of basic assumptions underlying the theory
An explanation of the aquisition of helpful and unhelpful behaviour
An explanation of the maintenance of unhelpful behaviour
An explanation of how to help clients to change their behaviour and consolidate their gains when counselling ends.
(ibid:7)

7. Counselling theories and approaches.
All approaches are guided by theories
There are many different counselling approaches (350? 650?)
Most can be categorised under one of five headings: Psychodynamic, Cognitive Behavioural, Humanist, Integrative, Eclectic.

8. What is Psychodynamic Counselling?
Psychodynamic counselling is derived from the psychoanalytic tradition which has its origins in the work of Sigmund Freud, born in Austria in 1856.
The word “psychodynamic” is now commonly used to describe models of therapy which have evolved from classical psychoanalysis.
These models have retained many of the skills and techniques which Freud pioneered, as well as many of the concepts which derive from his original work.

9. Key Movements and Contributors
Classical psychoanalysis: Freud (1856 – 1939)
Analytical Psychology: Jung (1875 – 1939)
Individual psychology: Adler (1870 – 1937)
Ego Psychology: Hartman (1894 – 1970), Anna Freud (1895 – 1932), Erikson (1902 – 1994)
Object Relations Theory or Neo Freudians: Klein (1882 – 1960), Horney (1885 – 1952), Winnicott ( ), Fairbairn ( ), Bowlby (1907 – 1990)
Transactional Analysis: Berne (1910 – 1970)

10. Some Key ideas and Concepts Relating to Psychodynamic Counselling

11. Some Key ideas and Concepts Relating to Psychodynamic Counselling
Unconscious motivation
Id ego and super-ego
Psycho-sexual stages of development (and other stages)
Significance of childhood experience (including Attachment Theory)
Connecting Past and Present
Anxiety and defence Mechanisms

12. Some Key ideas and Concepts Relating to Psychodynamic Counselling
Transference and counter-transference
Working with dreams and symbols
Free Association
Interpretation.

13. Psychodynamic Counselling Today
Although the techniques of Freud’s original model have been modified in contemporary psychodynamic therapy, there is still an emphasis on working through unconscious motives to uncover emotional problems and achieve insight” (ibid)

14. Psychodynamic Counselling Today
Read what a contemporary practising counsellor says about the way in which she works
List or highlight any features which you recognise as typical of a “psychodynamic” approach.