Psychotherapy Essay -- Psychodynamic Therapy

The aim of psychotherapy is to encourage self-awareness and self-evaluation in order to enable transformation and facilitate possibility. It is this self-evaluation process that is crucial to personal agency (McKay, 1987) and integral to psychodynamic therapy (PDT) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). This essay will critically evaluate cognitive behavioural and psychodynamic theories regarding self-awareness and self-evaluation and explore slipway in which these theories and their understanding of self may be utilised within clinical hypnosis.CBT and rational emotive behaviour therapy REBT (Ellis, 1955) rely on self-reflection and evaluation in order to achieve success. CBT utilises the stimulus -response (SR) model (Pavlov, 1903). Reflexive response to stimulus (Gross, 2005) becomes modified to stimulus cognition- response (SCR) (Beck, 1967). This introduces a reflective element, similar to the input- processing -output system found in the computational model of the mind ( Putman, 1961, 1988 Fodor, 1979). Decision-making and rationality (Jones and Pulos, 1993) are employed in order to negotiate familiarity of internal influence. Once this knowledge is perceived cognitions are evaluated and reassessed before rational alternatives are generated (Ellis, 1962). Thereby introducing the possibility of transformation. CBT is most effective with anxiety disorders (Beck et al 1985 Schoenberger et al, 1997 Brown 2007) and eating disorders (Baker and Nash, 1987 Griffiths et al, 1996). Meta analysis withal supports the use of CBT with depression (Gaffan, Tsaosis, Kemp-Wheeler, 1995 Butter and Beck, 2000). However, whilst some studies suggest that CBT is most effective when used alone i.e. without drugs (Marks, Swinson, Basoglu, Kuch, N... ...hin hypnotherapeutic practice. Freuds regression technique is usefully employed within hypnosis in order to gain insight or to recognise the source of a problem e.g. inner child work, counting back. Furthermore, Freuds con cept regarding psychic trauma fixation which concerns psychosexual stages may be used to indicate the root cause of habitual behaviours e.g. oral re eating, oral aggressive re crush biting, anal-retentive re OCD. Having said this it is important to recognise the flaws within Freuds research. Firstly, his sample group are not universally representative. Secondly, the culture and era make theories slight relevant to today. Furthermore, research comes from a personal perspective and therefore is not empirically sound. It could also be argued that too much emphasis is put on sexuality being at the root of psychological and behavioural problems throughout.