Psychoanalytic Approach As a psychoanalytic therapist, one would be looking deep into the clients’ unconscious and conscious motives to determine what factors would be contributing to their underlying problems. This type of therapist would allow Juan and Maria to discuss the concerns they have pertaining to their middle child, and attempt to find a connection as to why each parent believes the child should be raised in a specific manner; this particular method of allowing to speak out whatever comes to mind is known as free association. “Free association is one of the basic tools used to open the doors to unconscious wishes, fantasies, conflicts, and motivations’ (Corey, 2013, p. 79). Defense Mechanisms Juan and Maria appear to have had different upbringings and experiences, which would explain why they display different defenses that “depend on the individual’s level of development and degree of anxiety” (Corey, 2013, p. 66). A psychoanalytic therapist would see that while Maria describes that she struggled growing up as a middle child and paints a picture of seeing a connection with her middle child, Juan attempts to justify his parenting method by explaining how he feels his child needs to “act like a man” and learn from the “school of hard knocks.” Focusing on …show more content…
Although this is a key factor, at the same time, it is important the therapist not lose their own separateness when drawing from their own past experiences (Corey, 2013). With the therapist reflecting on how strict their father was to them in the past, they are able to gain a better sense of the overall situation between Juan and Maria; however, must understand that not all circumstances are the same as he faced in the past, and should work to gain a full grasp and understanding of Juan and Maria’s case from their