Running head: EVIDENCE FOR FREUD’S THEORIES 1

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EVIDENCE FOR FREUD’S THEORIES 2

Sigmund Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis has greatly impacted the techniques used in

mental illness treatment and the overall understanding of psychological distress. The main idea

behind psychoanalysis is that individuals have unconscious needs, feelings, and thoughts (Freud,

2018). Once the contents of the unconscious part of the brain are brought into the conscious,

people are able to confront them and become aware of their current state of mind. Confronting

the thoughts and experiences from the unconscious mind make the healing process easier.

Freud’s model divides the mind into three regions. The conscious region which contains

all current feelings, experiences, and thoughts, the preconscious which contains everything one

can retrieve one’s memory, and the unconscious which is a level in the mind which drives human

behavior (De Sousa, 2011). The model’s primary tenets include the Id, Ego, and Superego. The

Id is typically unconscious and contains things that are already existent at birth, inherited, and

instincts. The ego is conscious and links the Id to the external world. It responds to stimulation

by the Id and seeks to achieve pleasure and avoid discontentment. The superego represents the

restriction of fulfillment and contentment. It mostly represents the influences of other

individuals, including societal impact (Lapsley & Stey, 2011). Ultimately, according to Freud,

instincts guide all behavior.

Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory has influenced clinical social work since the 1920s.

Psychoanalysis emphasized on the individuals’ unconscious mind and early-childhood

development. It also provided an understanding of why childhood conflicts tend to recur or

persist in adult life (Perlman & Brandell, 2011). Over the entire century psychoanalysis has

greatly influenced the approaches used in clinical social work. Mainly, the psychosocial,

problem-solving, and functional schools. The psychoanalytic theory influences the psychosocial

school in terms of diagnosis. Dynamic diagnosis borrows from psychoanalysis in that the
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person’s relationship with others and his environment is examined. Etiological diagnosis focuses

on both the present and historical elements of the person and his environment and their

relationship. The functional school emphasizes on both individuation and separation, which

evidently borrow from psychoanalysis. Finally, the problem-solving approach is closely tied to

psychoanalysis in that the casework process looks into the ego for its problem solving efforts

(Perlman & Brandell, 2011).

As seen in the essay, Sigmund Freud Psychoanalytic theory is applied in mental health

treatment by bringing what is the unconscious mind into the conscious mind so that the healing

process becomes easier. Evidence of application in clinical social work is seen in the

psychosocial, problem-solving, and functional schools.

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References

Perlman, F. T., & Brandell, J. R. (2011). Psychoanalytic theory. Theory and practice in clinical

social work, 41-79.

De Sousa, A. (2011). Freudian theory and consciousness: A conceptual analysis. Mens sana

monographs, 9(1), 210.

Lapsley, D. K., & Stey, P. C. (2011). Id, ego, and superego. Encyclopedia of Human Behavior,

2nd Edition. Ramachandran VS (ed): Elsevier, 1-9.

Freud, S. (2018). Introduction to psychoanalysis. BoD–Books on Demand.