Counseling and Psychotherapy - the Psychoanalytic Approach - Essay Example

Counseling and Psychotherapy - the Psychoanalytic Approach The specific case in question considers a 23rd old woman that is a member of the Air Force. The woman has reported having the feeling of cats walking on her. The issue has become a frequent occurrence in her life. There are a number of extenuating circumstances that contribute to the woman’s condition. What follows is a psychoanalytic account of this case and the symptoms involved. Perhaps the main consideration is Freud’s contention that, “many neuroses had their origins in deeply traumatic experiences which had occurred in the patient’s past but which were now forgotten–hidden from consciousness” (Freud 2010).

Perhaps the most notable case feature in these regards is the rape that the woman underwent shortly after graduating from high school. Indeed, it’s noted that, “psychoanalytic theory include the dynamics of the unconscious and its influence on behavior” (Corey 2005, p. 87). In consider the woman’s particular case, it is also noted that she experienced post-traumatic stress disorder associated with the rape. Following psychoanalytic theory, the main understanding is that it is highly likely that the rape that the woman experienced resulted in her strongly repressing this experience.

The repression of this experience may have now emerged in the neurotic experiences the woman is encountering, specifically her experience with feeling that cats are walking on her at night. While the woman never experienced this before, it is possible that her early life repression is emerging now because of stress associated with her current living situation. ReferencesCorey, Gerald (2005). Theory and Practice of counseling and Psychotherapy. Freud, sigmund. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.iep.utm.edu/freud/