Psychoanalytic Psychology

- Founder: Sigmund Freud (1856-1939).

- Key Concepts:

  - Unconscious: Freud believed that many mental processes occur at the level of the unconscious, influencing behavior and emotions.

  - Psychic conflicts: Freud emphasized internal conflicts between different parts of the personality, particularly between the conscious and unconscious mind.

  - Psychosexual development: Freud developed a theory of development in multiple stages, associated with erogenous zones of the body (oral, anal, phallic, latent, and genital stages).

  - Dreams and symbolism: Freud placed significant importance on dream interpretation as a means to access the unconscious.

- Therapeutic Methods:

  - Psychoanalysis: Freud developed psychoanalysis as a method for treating mental disorders. It involves regular sessions where the patient freely talks, exploring unconscious thoughts and feelings.

- Critiques:

  - Psychoanalysis has been criticized for its lack of empirical validation and its subjective nature.

  - Freud's concepts, such as the unconscious and the significance of infantile sexuality, have been challenged by other schools of thought.

While psychoanalysis was one of the earliest major currents in psychology, its influence has diminished over the decades. Nevertheless, its ideas have left a lasting impact on the understanding of the human psyche and have influenced many areas of contemporary psychology.

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Illustration by Laurent Guidali

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