Understanding Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory and Its Implications

This essay provides an analysis of Freud's theory of psychoanalysis, with a particular emphasis on the concept of transference. It begins by introducing Freud's ideas, including the dynamics of infantile fantasies and their influence on later life. The essay explains transference as a renewal of innate influences, where the analyst can be perceived as significant figures from the patient's past. It then discusses the role of the unconscious in shaping behavior and how Freud's theory explains personality development through psychosexual stages. The essay further explores positive and negative transference and how they affect the therapeutic process. It highlights Freud's view of transference as crucial for understanding resistance to psychological treatment, while also acknowledging criticisms of Freud's emphasis on sexuality. The essay concludes by acknowledging Freud's contributions to understanding the inner mind and its impact on mental health, despite criticisms regarding empirical evidence and reliance on therapeutic achievements.

Running Head: ABIDING BY FREUD’S THEORY OF PSYCHOANALYSIS
ABIDING BY FREUD’S THEORY OF PSYCHOANALYSIS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ABIDING BY FREUD’S THEORY OF PSYCHOANALYSIS
Introduction
Freud’s theory of transference tries to understand the dynamics of infantile fantasies
and its application in the later phases of one’s life. This is agreed upon as the renewal of
innate influences and dispositions that is agreed upon during the period of infancy (Esman,
1990). The analyst or psychoanalyst is often visualized as someone close to the analysand, a
person who is undergoing psychoanalysis like his or her mother, sister, brother, husband and
so on. This was the concept put forth by Lacan. This attitude of the patient towards his or her
doctor is said to have formed on both unconscious and conscious anticipatory aspects of the
patient’s libido. However, Lacan argues that the manifestation of transference results in the
interruption of the contact with the unconscious.
Discussion
I subscribe to this theory because Freud states that the personality develops right from
the childhood and is shaped by the five vital stages of psychosexuality. This builds up at each
stage when a child is presented with a conflict amidst the social expectations and biological
drive. Proper channelization of these thoughts or ‘desires’ shall lead to an expertise in each of
this development stages, which thereby leads to full maturity. In the theory of transference,
Freud states that the patient is a representation of a repressed individual who is laden with
conflicts. He or she tries to be guided by the impulses to develop a relationship with the
therapist (Esman, 1990).
Freud’s Theory of transference tries to understand the resistive nature of the patient
through the various components of transference. While positive transference enables the
development of friendly, mature, affectionate, oriented and goal centric processes besides the
feelings of eroticism, the negative transference distances the patient from the therapist
(Esman, 1990). In case of the unconscious impulses, the patient does not remember things the

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way the analyst wants him or her to remember. However, it argues to reproduce these
thoughts on its own. Transference enables to make the hidden concepts become immediately
apparent.
Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis explains the human behavior and psychology as a
complete study on personality. It focuses on the role of experiences of early childhood and
unconsciousness that is being emphasized. The human behavior is very dynamic in nature
and the study reflects that with proper examples (Esman, 1990). Freud’s theory portrays
Transference Theory as the most important treatment for understanding resistance to a
psychological treatment. However, the Transference-Love is not of the resistance type but it
can interfere with the working of a person. There are other theories on Person Centric
Transference and Jungian Transference, which differs starkly from those mentioned by Freud
and Lacan.
Conclusion
Freud’s have been met with criticism because he lays an emphasis on sexuality as the
prime reason of personality development in humans (Esman, 1990). It adheres to situations of
neurosis and psychosexual aspects where the former is marked by the fear or anxiety, which
is comparatively less severe when compared with psychosis as it is not concerned with
detachment whereas, the latter relates to both aspects of sexuality and psychology. This
theory lacks empirical evidence and rests on therapeutic achievements. Freud’s idea of
association and study of dreams and unconscious mind is a field that is severely critiqued.
However, it remains as the major instance for acknowledging the importance of the inner
mind and the role played by the unconscious that helps in forming a mental set-up that is
reflective of stress and depression, quite prevalent in the recent times.

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References
Esman, A. H. (1990). Essential papers on transference. NYU Press.