Psychoanalytic Theory

Sigmund Freud assessed his patients using a psychosexual theory of development. He viewed development through a lens of sexuality and sought to interpret how childhood experiences impacted adulthood. He grouped development into four stages: oral, anal, latency, and genital (Friedman & Schustak, pgs. 70-76). Freud felt that most adult challenges originated with a fixation at one of these stages.

If I were on Freud�s couch, he might notice my on-going pursuit or �intake� of learning and new ideas. He might spend some time probing about my relationship with my mother and learn that she was often pre-occupied (with stress, divorce, new marriage, etc.) during my early development. He would discover that I am still seeking a connection with her, in many ways, as an adult. Freud might interpret that I am fixated at the oral stage and that my mother�s inconsistent responsiveness makes me continue to seek mothering and validation in the form of instruction and grades.

In addition to his psychosexual analysis, Freud utilized the unconscious and structures of the psyche (id, ego, superego) to assess his patients (Friedman & Schustak, pg. 67). In this context, Freud would likely say that I am superego driven. I have always been very focused on trying to do what is �right.� Freud might draw a connection to my oral fixation and say that I am still seeking validation from my mother through obsessively socially acceptable behavior. I want to be loved by her and demonstrate appropriate behavior to gain her approval. Similarly, Freud might say that I am cautious of missteps because I fear doing anything that might make her disappointed in me.

Throughout much of my life, I worked hard to maintain a socially acceptable image, despite having a very messy family life at home. I wanted so much to be doing the �right� thing, that I did