Page 48 - PartA

Counselling Skills

Key elements of psychodynamic theory

There are key elements of psychodynamic theory that provide counsellors with
tools to enable them to create a positive outcome for their clients. The key elements
are as follows:

• The importance of the role played by the unconscious mind and its
influence on people’s behaviour

• Our behaviour is determined by our past experiences, our genetic
inheritance and what is happening to us now

• The belief that all our internal experiences relate to our relationships with
other people

• The belief that insight is more important than feelings or emotions

• Psychological problems have their causes in our unconscious mind

• The way to address these problems is to probe the unconscious and bring
issues in the unconscious mind into the conscious mind to produce insight

• Insight is achieved when the person realises what is causing the problem
– after which the problem will cease.

The diagram below represents the process of achieving insight.

Conflict
Unconscious Conscious Insight/ resolved/
mind/conflict/ mind awareness understanding
problems and catharsis

Q. What is ‘catharsis’?

A. Catharsis is the release of pent up emotions, often strongly, when a problem
is resolved.

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