Understanding the Person

Understanding the Person

It is my intention in this essay to compare and contrast the psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural approaches to counselling by showing the similarities and differences between the two models. I will look at the methods used by each model and how they both regard the image of the person.

The psychodynamic approach originates from the ideas of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) who was one of the most well-known and influential psychologists of the twentieth century. Today the psychodynamic theory and practical approach to counselling have gone further than Freud’s initial ideas and uses the developing relationship between client and counsellor to look at how feelings and relationship dilemmas cause difficult for the client in everyday life (D171 pg. 90).

Freud suggests that childhood experiences influence adult personality and that this influence is from a particular place; through t...(short extract)

Compare and contrast how the psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural approaches to counselling understand the person, and how these two approaches explain psychological distress experienced by individuals’. in part 2, reflect on and write about which of the two models appeals most to you most and why.

In this essay I x intend to explore the differences and similarities in the way psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural approaches to counselling understand the person. Further to this I also intend to show the ways in which these two approaches explain the psychological distress experienced by individuals. There are many different schools of thought on the psychodynamic approach I will focus mainly on the works of Freud who developed the theories which were used as a foundation on which the psychodynamic approach was built. Of the two approaches although I can see the benefit of both. I find myself drawn more by the psychodynamic approach reasons for which I will also explain.

Cognitive and Psychodynamic counselling both view the person as a being able to...

Similar Essays