Conscious
-The stuff you can see, top of the surface
-thoughts
-perceptions
Preconscious
-memories
-stored knowledge
-Ego
Ego (secondary process)
-using actual physical strategy and means to meet needs
-action orientated part of personality
an example of Ego (secondary process) would be
getting food on your own out of the pantry, the id drives you to be hungry
Superego (Ego ideal)
-understanding right and wrong, trying to act "right"
-act the most appropriate way
Unconscious
Do not act on these behaviors, but they are still there such as:
-violent motives
-fears
-selfish needs
-sexual desires
Defense
unconscious reactions taken by the ego to reduce anxiety
Defenses: Repression
Victims of violent crime may have difficulty relating specific details of assault
Defenses: Denial
It can happen to me attitude, heavy smokers may deal with the possibility of getting lung cancer by saying that it can't be true, or that it may be true but won't happen to them
Defenses: Reaction formation
Inability to accept one's own strong sexual impulses and desires may turn into a crusade against pornography
Defenses: Projection
An angry person confronts spouse "why are you so angry with me?
Defenses: Displacement
Shifting uncomfortable feelings toward someone who is less powerful and less threatening then the individual from who the feelings originated
Defenses: Rationalization
-Everybody else is doing it
-Perfectly good explanation for something everyone else is doing
-Negative is occurring; often rationalize and say it is okay
-Husband cheating; "oh he's just overly sexual
Defenses: Regression
Adult temper tantrums
Defenses: Sublimation
-Athletics, surgery, sex therapy
Transference
-Client distortions of the helper based on past experiences
-The client places on the therapist characteristics that belong to other people with whom one has unresolved issues
Insight
-A way of viewing things in a new light or form a new perspective
-Gaining insight into a situation helps to move a person from the process of automatic responding that has them in a rut that they are in right now
goals for insight stage
-Seeing self from new perspective
-making connections, understanding patterns, links, reasons, causes for things in their lives
-"aha" experience where everything comes together
-making new discoveries about how clients should live their lives
Challenge discrepancies or contradiction
-Got a bad grade on an essay, look for things that don't make sense
-Or when client is defensive
-Statements that are irrational= "ill never get this
How do you challenge?
-observe
-assess client's readiness to receive a challenge
-recognize your intentions
for discrepancies/ contradiction you would say things like...
-you say___, but you also say ___
-miss your parents, only visit you one time a year
-"so, is there another way around this?
for defense/defense mechanisms you need to....
-point out the defense and ask to clarify
-Denial
-spontaneously gives you a defense
-my husband left me, I am happy about it
Interpretation
-Help them make a connection between 2 isolated events
-"miss parents" - "only visit once a year
Deliver interpretations
-empathy
-clear statement of problem
-ask open questions
-gauge clients reaction
Self-Disclosure: Exploration with insight
1.Sharing personal lesson learned (short)
2.Relate back to your client
3.Ask for client's reaction
immediacy
the helper discloses immediate feelings about the client, how the helper feels in relation to the client, or feelings about the therapeutic relationship.
Difficulties with insight skills
1. Moving to quickly to using insight skills
2. Taking on too much responsibility
3. Not digging deeper
4. Not using empathy
5. Countertransference
overcoming difficulties
1. Use empathy
2. Deal with your own personal feelings
3. Deal with the therapeutic relationship