Term Paper on "Psychoanalytical and Behavior Modification"

Term Paper 6 pages (1966 words) Sources: 0

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Counseling can take many forms, depending on the needs and objectives of the patient and the preferences and training of the therapist. Naturally, several approaches to therapy differ from each other, however; there are two in particular whose focal points vary drastically. The unconscious is the axis around which psychoanalysis revolves whereas behaviorism centers on what its name indicates, behavior. Moreover, psychoanalysis delves into one's past while behaviorism concentrates on one's current overt manifestations.

Sigmund Freud was the creator of both psychoanalytic theory and therapy. In fact, psychoanalysis was the first formal theory of personality and indisputably remains the best known. The basic assumption of psychoanalysis is that unconscious forces shape an individual's thoughts and behaviors. Said differently, dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors can be remedied by uncovering and analyzing a patient's unconscious motives and conflicts. Therefore, the ultimate goal of psychoanalysis is self-insight.

Psychoanalytical therapy mainly concerns itself with excavating painful unconscious memories that often originate in childhood. Since this is a process that involves tender experiences and emotions, it is seems logical that a patient will resist such an undertaking. Defense mechanisms-for example, repression, displacement, and rationalization-surface over the course of therapy and are the starting points of treatment. Both parties strive for deeper understanding of the patient's emotional reactions, dreams, memories, fantasies, and thoughts. The therapist may use a variety of techniques, which include but are not limited to hypnosis, free association, and dream analysis.

Behaviorism and its offspring, behavior modification, was largely the work of B.F. Skinner, who built upon the earlier works of Ivan Pavlov and John B. Watson. Unlike psychoanalysis and its endeavors to comprehend underlying causes, behaviorism proclaims it unnecessary to examine mental concepts and emotions in order to correct maladaptive actions. Furthermore, this theoretical framework contends that in order for psychology to be a true science, it must address only visible phenomena. Simply stated, dysfunction is the learning of unsuitable behaviors. Considering this, it is not surprising that the eventual outcome of behavior therapy is the manipulation of observable actions.

Behavior modification applies learning principles to the elimination of unwanted behaviors. In order to accomplish this goal, there are several techniques that a therapist can apply to his patient. Systematic desensitization is commonly used to treat the anxiety one feels in the presence of a feared object. Aversion therapy employs an unpleasant stimulus to modify an undesirable behavior. To develop a new behavior, the therapist can use the principle of successive approximations, which reinforces the targeted action as it approaches the appearance of the final desired behavior.

To illustrate the abovementioned therapies, consider the following case study and the approaches and processes each school of thought undertakes. Ronan, at 28 years of age, is a successful rookie stockbroker in New York City who has been in his current position for nearly three years. Although he finds his job exhausting at times and his clients aggressive, he nonetheless enjoys this occupation. Ronan is invigorated by the constant action of the trading floor and revels in the obscene wealth of his clients. In order to satisfy his intense drive for success and pay for his extravagant tastes, such as a penthouse apartment on Madison Avenue, he works long hours, oftentimes beginning the day at 5 a.m. And ending it at 8 p.m. Ronan is physically active and has a healthy diet but his sleep is riddled with disturbing dreams.

Despite Ronan's occupational achievements, his interpersonal relationships are quickly deteriorating. His girlfriend of five years, Rhiannon, an aspiring actress, complains of his long work hours and the stress it creates within him. She moved with him to New York City from their hometown of Buffalo and is quite content with the relocation. Rhiannon has noticed new behaviors and habits in Ronan, such as smoking, drinking, and aggression. The last one is particularly troublesome since it is frequently directed at her. This is not to say that Ronan is violent, merely aggressive and hostile. Ronan's parents disagree with his decision to move to the metropolis and the career that he has pursued. In fact, when the two parties talk, it usually ends in loud disagreement and irate feelings. Furthermore, Ronan has recently associated himself with a new set of friends, mainly the stereotypic stockbroker kind, with flashy outfits, superior attitudes, and fast lifestyles.

Ronan is a first generation American; his parents immigrated from Ireland in their twenty's to escape a life of poverty and crime. Since his parents are not highly educated, both needed to work two jobs in order to provide for their six children; Ronan is the first child. The family is devoutly Catholic and prescribes to traditional values. Although never physically nor verbally abused, Ronan was treated in a severe manner when his parents deemed his behavior to be misaligned with their beliefs. Originally eager to practice his religion, he suddenly rejected Catholicism at ten years of age; this undoubtedly has caused an eternal rift within the family. What was inexplicable and strange to all was his abrupt fear of and hostility towards the Roman Catholic Church. Ronan excelled in both academics and athletics throughout his education. In fact, he attended Harvard on a full scholarship and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in finance. He has always been driven to achieve financial success as during his childhood he was denied many luxuries.

Ronan seeks therapy mainly due to the prodding of his girlfriend, Rhiannon, who he absolutely adores. He has proposed marriage but she refuses until he is better able to deal with his aggression. Ronan and Rhiannon are childhood friends and during their long courtship, the couple has surmounted many difficulties. Although he would never admit this to Rhiannon, he feels she is justified in her concern about his recently acquired behaviors and habits. Attending therapy is somewhat of a relief for him.

Given the aforesaid information, a psychoanalytic therapist would attempt to create a warm and nurturing environment in which Ronan felt open to explore his current situation and the influence his past has on it. Since aggression is the primary concern, psychoanalysis uses this as the departure point. Furthermore, it is the standard against which the effectiveness of treatment is measured. In other words, if over the course of therapy, aggressive behavior declines; one can reasonably claim that treatment was fruitful. For this progress to occur, a substantial amount of intensive therapy is normally required.

Gathering background information further contributes to a fuller understanding of the patient's circumstance. A thorough history is necessary for the therapist to put into context the maladaptive behaviors. For this reason, he would spend considerable time with the patient reviewing past events, thoughts, and emotions. Of particular interest is the inexplicable change in Ronan's religious practices, or the lack thereof. Upon deeper examination and after some initial resistance on the patient's part, both parties uncovered a profound childhood experience. When Ronan was active in his church, he grew to admire and emulate a young priest. Over the course of several years, both of them developed a close relationship that was virtually unknown to others. One day, when Ronan went to meet the priest, he found him dead. The priest had recently suffered from depression and angst and was unable to handle such strong emotions; he chose to end his life. This crushed Ronan's spirit and he never understood how such an intelligent, caring, and virtuous man could become so desperate. From that moment on, Ronan realized that religion was not what it was touted to be; he renounced it in confusion, pain, and anger.

After several sessions of rehashing this experience, Ronan was able to connect his current outbreaks of aggression with this monumental event. Naturally, the inherent stress and common expression of aggression involved with his job served to amplify his own tendencies. However, with the therapist's guidance, he was able to more effectively manage such emotional outbursts. In fact, over time they subsided along with the unsettling dreams to which he fell victim. During dream analysis, both therapist and patient were able to readily point out the similarities between the confusion, disappointment, helplessness, and anger that took place during sleep and the feelings Ronan felt after his friend's suicide. To foster interpersonal growth, the therapist recommended Ronan to discuss this experience with his girlfriend and family. As he did so, his girlfriend and parents grew more sensitive to his needs and supported him in his endeavor to surmount the debilitating scars that the trauma created. After a year of therapy, Ronan was feeling and acting more inline with his authentic self and had consequently quit smoking and drinking. Although he continued working as a stockbroker, he was capable of retaining his identity and integrity while enjoying the advantages the occupation affords. Furthermore, Ronan was more acutely aware of stress signals and took measures to reduce anxiety before it escalated into outrageous behavior.

In another therapeutic environment, that of behavior modification, the treatment process differs remarkably from the previous description. Again, since aggression… READ MORE

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