Using the psychoanalytic approach describe what you would diagnose her problem to be and how you would work with Holly

Using the psychoanalytic approach describe what you would diagnose her problem to be and how you would work with Holly

            Based on Holly’s case, she is suffering from a psychological problem that requires psychoanalytic therapy, which is effective in dealing with issues of relationship difficulties. This psychoanalytic therapy usually takes place in weekly sessions with the treatment lasting for one year (Rotenberg, p.46). During the sessions, the therapist allows the client to talk as he or she maintains silence while trying to understand the point out of the client’s difficult situation. In this case, I would work with Holly by encouraging her to talk about her father and what she remembers about him in good times and in bad times. The therapy will also include Holly’s explanation or rather expression of why she thought her father became an alcoholic because of her and why this became the point of resentment towards men for her.

What is your goal in therapy with this client?

The main goal in therapy with Holly is to restore trust because she has realized that even if she stays alone, there is a part of her that is lost in the process (Rotenberg, p.47). With the projective identification of her father as being the main reason why she does not trust men, the projection also shows that unconscious Holly speaking is attributing something about herself to someone else in the form of unwanted emotions and character (Rotenberg, p.49). It is for this reason that Holly could be losing her ability to her inner world, which comprises of her perceptions, feelings, thoughts, and views. Moreover, at a deeper level, her lack of trust shows development resilience characterized by immature ego and frustration tolerance.

Where do her id, ego, and superego come into the picture?

Holly’s ego and superego come into picture when she lacks the trust foundation and concludes that men will disappoint her or let her down just like her father did. Being raised without support most definitely raises trust issues, but this thought results in the development of ingrained behaviors, which will eventually make people resent Holly as a person (Hobson, p.4). On the one hand, Holly does not trust her ability to overcome her past painful emotions in as much as she is an adult now. On the other hand, refusing to have a male therapist shows her rigid way of thinking, which is just another way to depict her superego behavior (Hobson, p.5).

What questions would you ask her early on, especially?

The first question I would ask Holly is if she trusts herself because if there is anyone that an individual can completely trust is oneself (Hobson, p.7). Secondly, I would ask Holly if there is anyone else she trusts apart from herself as this question will enable us to know if she is having any contact with the world or she is completely cut off from the rest of the world for therapy success. Thirdly, Holly should be able to tell us what her gut is telling her at the moment because if she can be able to connect with her feelings, then she can be able to express exactly how she feels (Rotenberg, p.44). Lastly, I would ask Holly how often she has been betrayed as this will lay the foundation on what happens or happened that made her lockout men from her life even when she feels like she can try and trust deep within.

What basic assumptions are you making going in as an Adlerian therapist? What needs to change for her to change?

The first assumption going into a therapy session with Holly is that she needs to connect with herself and others. Another assumption is that a client-therapist relationship based on mutual trust will be created for Holly to better understand her challenges and make changes to her life (Carlson et al., p.117). For Holly to change; therefore, she needs to start by stopping the projective identification of her father as the source of her trust problem. The therapist will also engage Holly in a psychoanalytic transference work whereby she will project her childhood feelings towards the therapist, which will help in her treatment.

Works Cited

Carlson, Jon, et al. “The Working Assessment in Adlerian Therapy.” Adlerian therapy: Theory and practice, pp. 103-128.

Hobson, R. P. “The psychoanalytic background.” Brief Psychoanalytic Therapy, 2016, pp. 1-14.

Rotenberg, Ken J. “Trust, and health.” The Psychology of Trust, 2018, pp. 43-50.