The Main Principles of Psychoanalysis and Cognitive Therapy - Coursework Example

Compare and Contrast the Main Principles of Psychoanalysis and Cognitive Therapy Compare and Contrast the Main Principles of Psychoanalysis and Cognitive Therapy Introduction Psychoanalysis and cognitive therapy are the most common therapeutic approaches to mental disorders. Cognitive therapy comprises of unique categories of emotional interventions based on human behavioral models, emotion, and cognition. During cognitive treatments, both therapists and patients mainly concentrate on the present situation by seeking to understand situations and problems and the relationship between feelings, thoughts, and behavior (Cuijpers, van , Andersson, & van, 2008). Cognitive therapy also involves the development of time-limited and personalized goals. The therapist creates awareness of the automatic maladaptive thoughts that may evoke negative personal perception. The cognitive therapist aims to arouse alternative viewpoints and ideas on the patient. Based on the alternatives suggested, the patient can then test their potential against the accuracy of the alternative behaviors. This leads to perception and adoption of new ways of acting and perceiving. Cognitive therapy may, therefore, be described as a psychological therapy that is fundamentally different from psychoanalysis. It is more practical and forward-looking. Cognitive therapy is limited to a particular number of sessions, unlike psychoanalysis, which is not time-bound. This paper offers a comparative overview of psychoanalysis and cognitive therapy as therapeutic approaches for treating mental disorders in adults. Both the similarities and differences of the two approaches will be focused on. Discussion The main features of cognitive therapy are that it is highly instructional and takes homework as a central element. The approach is also highly directed and structured with the therapist setting the program for each session. However, the program is based on mutually-inclusive goals. The cognitive approach tends to ignore the client’s history by focusing on here and now. Similarly, the relationship between the client and the therapist is not of much concern. The patient ceases to visit the therapist as soon as positive results of the therapy are realized (Kingdon, & Turkington, 2005). On the other hand, psychoanalysis is less structured and does not involve homework assignments. The agenda is set by the client, not the therapist, by openly talking what is on their mind. The client must be open enough and be able to recall past experiences that may be linked to the present psychological problem. Based on the present psychological situation, the therapist must also be knowledgeable enough to be able to structure questions that will enable the patient reveal more aspects of past life (Leahy, 2003). Unlike the cognitive approach, the psychoanalytic approach focuses on both the present and past history of the client. It seeks to understand the patient in a more comprehensive manner. The therapy also focuses on the relationship between the patient and the therapist. The stronger the relationship between the therapist and the client, the more effective is the therapeutic approach (Smit, Huibers, Ioannidis, Dyck, Tilburg, &Arntz, 2012). In this relationship, both the therapist and the patient have a positive role to play in enhancing the effectiveness of the therapeutic procedure. Psychoanalysis offers a platform for meditating about the world, about self, and interaction with other beings. It is a comprehensive approach of viewing all the factors and circumstances impacting on human relations and the nature of human thoughts. By including both the past and the present, it makes the therapist have a wide view of the patient and be able to interpret crucial data and information leading to the mental wellbeing. In other words, it is psychoanalysis of one’s psyche. The psychoanalytic therapy offers a shift in being a psychologically responsible being by offering a makeover of the foundation of being (Smit, Huibers, Ioannidis, Dyck, Tilburg, &Arntz, 2012). It leads to realignment of perceptions that may impact everything about the client’s life. Being a theory of thought, psychoanalysis is a lens that is applicable in all aspects of life; science, politics, class, race, among others. The therapeutic approach offers a point of view for other psychological techniques. The fundamental principle of cognitive therapy is its focus on a specific duration in psychological treatment. This makes the therapeutic approach more specific and goal-focused. The therapist has few but related factors to analyze since only the present nature of the psychological problem is considered (Beck, & Beck, 2011). The therapist also does not need to take so much time with the patient. By conversing with the client and letting them explain their present situation, a quick solution to the psychological problem can be easily arrived at. Another distinguishing principle of cognitive therapy is the characterization of an inner world signified by mental maps. The assumption of the cognitive therapeutic approach is that stressful personal states such as anxiety, anger, and depression are maintained by biased mentalities. The cognitive approach involves teaching the patient to acquire skills that would make them their own therapists (Davey, 2008). The cognitive approach is more practical and applicable because; by focusing on the way the client thinks and acts, it can be considered an evidence-based approach. The approach encourages the client to meditate on the evidence before deciding on the appropriate action to take. One of the major similarities between cognitive therapy and psychoanalysis is that; with regard to schemas, both approaches are embedded in psycho-cognitive structures that are developed and maintained in the early life experiences. Although some of the schemas may develop in adulthood, the dominant schemas depend on past experiences. However, the major shortfall of the cognitive therapeutic approach is that the intervention is not able to produce long-term psychological changes. For instance, if the patient is undergoing therapy after suffering from depression, the therapist may not consider the past but only considers the present state of psychological affairs (Davey, 2008). In other words, cognitive therapy may reduce contemporary episodes like depression but may not entirely stop future anxiety and depression. On the other hand, by considering both the present and the past psychological health of the patient, psychoanalysis is an effective therapeutic approach for treatment of mental disorders because it focuses on all the possible causes of the disorder and, therefore, reducing chances of mental disorder in the future. By taking more time with the patient, the therapist is able to understand all the psychological dimensions that are potential causes of the psychiatric problem. This implies that a better therapeutic solution will be arrived at, despite the longer duration taken. The fundamental principle of cognitive therapy offers a way of talking about how individuals think about themselves, other people, and the world at large. It also involves analysis of how what individuals do affect their feelings and thoughts. In view of this, cognitive therapy can change how individuals think and this makes the patients under treatment feel better. By focusing on how to improve the state of mind at the present, cognitive therapy offers a faster solution to psychiatric problems in the long-run. Cognitive therapy focuses on the problem at the particular time and, therefore, offers more reliable results as compared to psychoanalysis that looks for solutions of one problem from many problems in the past. Psychoanalysis, unlike cognitive therapy, may take years of study and research in order to understand a specific mode of behavior, thinking, and perception (Smit, Huibers, Ioannidis, Dyck, Tilburg, &Arntz, 2012). The relationship between the conscious thought and the unconscious thought may also take time to establish. Psychoanalysis aims to understand the logic of the psyche demonstrated by each of the patients. Cognitive therapists have often criticized the psychoanalytic therapeutic approach for being lengthy, costly, and its overvaluation of the unconscious mind. Psychoanalysis has also been criticized for lacking ways in which it can be certainly and scientifically evaluated. Psychoanalysis seems to be trapped in the past, is ineffective and non-collaborative (Williams, 2010). Psychoanalysis also makes patients do things that may not make sense to cognitive therapists and is an inferior form of therapy for being fundamentally absurd. The client in the cognitive therapeutic process becomes an active player and an equal to the therapist and gets informed about the process of working together and cooperating with the therapist. The aim of cognitive therapeutic approach is preservation of the integrity of the client as an adult and not to use the therapeutic relationship to trigger client regression. Cognitive therapy assists the client in making sense from the experienced difficulties (Wettstein, 2000). Psychoanalysis, on the other hand, dismisses cognitive therapy as a quick-fix, superficial therapy that may temporarily relieve psychological symptoms followed by a relapse. While both cognitive therapy and psychoanalysis seek to reduce symptoms of depression, the most notable difference between the two approaches is that psychoanalysis tries to understand why the client behaves or feels the way they do. This involves uncovering unconscious and deeper motivations for behaviors and feelings (Driessen, Cuijpers, Maat, Saskia , Abbass, Jonghe, & Dekker, 2010). The analysis may involve evaluation of patient behavior from childhood along with the factors and past experiences that may lead to the present state of psychological status. Cognitive therapy, on the other hand, does not involve this feature. The cognitive approach mainly aims to alleviate feelings of depression and other forms of suffering as quick as possible by influencing and training the client’s mind to substitute patterns of dysfunctional thought, behavior, and perceptions with more helpful or realistic ones, without necessarily asking more about them (Eysenck, 2004). The change is done with the aim of altering emotions and behavior. The therapist only aims to solve the psychological problem at hand without necessarily developing a long-term relationship with the client. The assumption of the principle is that the psychological problem results from present mental situations that can be solved without the intervention of past experiences (Flaskas, & Pocock, 2009). Psychoanalysis, on the contrary, requires a deeper treatment for a lasting change to be realized. Conclusion Both the cognitive therapeutic approach and psychoanalysis focus on understanding the cause of the psychological problem and finding solutions. The methods also involve the relationship between a psychiatric therapist and a client with mental problems. In the cognitive approach, the client-therapist relationship is not of much importance as compared to the psychoanalytic therapeutic procedure. Cognitive therapy mainly focuses on the present psychological status of the patient without consideration of past experiences. The therapist takes time with the client and tries to identify the causes of the present psychological problem based on the prevailing social and health issues. Therefore, in cognitive therapy, the therapist may not get into deeper details of the client’s mental or physical health history. On the other hand, psychoanalysis encompasses both the present and past experiences. The therapist must take long sessions with the patient in order to understand the present psychological problem and its association with past experiences. This creates a lasting relationship between the therapist and the client. 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