Freudian Psychology

When Sigmund Freud developed his psychoanalytic theories, he proposed ideas that had never been considered. His theories as outlined in The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud—one of the key works of Sigmund Freud—laid the groundwork for modern psychology. However, some psychologists find fault with Freud's ideas today. Despite these objections, Freud's theories have had a significant impact and can often be seen behind current psychology trends and ideas. To understand whether this type of psychology is still relevant, looking at current and past research can be helpful. 

Who was Sigmund Freud?

Sigmund Freud is often referred to as the "father of modern psychoanalysis."  He was initially a medical doctor, physiologist, and neurologist who worked with Josef Breuer and other doctors to create the theories that led to the development of Freudian psychology.

Along with writing about his impactful theories and publishing them in books like The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud and The Psychopathology of Everyday Life, Freud also practiced psychoanalysis, working with clients to help them address mental health challenges. He took detailed notes of these sessions, eventually developing a significant body of writing that includes case studies and psychoanalytical theories.

Anna Freud, Sigmund's daughter, followed her father's path and contributed to psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic theory after his passing. Her contributions led to a further understanding of psychology and mental health. 

What is Freudian psychology? Elements of Freud's theories 

Freudian psychology is the set of theories and practices arising from Sigmund Freud's work in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Just a few of many examples of Freudian theories relate to the following topics:

• A three-part model of the psyche
• The stages of development 
• The levels of consciousness
• Defense mechanisms
• The mind as an energy system
• The interpretation of dreams
• Psychopathologies 

Sigmund Freud put his theories into practice as he analyzed his clients, attempting to uncover the sources of their complete psychological and mental health concerns and resolve them. Below are further explanations of some of Freud's theories. 

As a neurologist and psychiatrist, Freud was interested in breaking down the structure and functions of the mind into distinct parts. He created several theories that defined these structures and functions. Although they aren't related to physical brain structures, they describe different qualities and systems of thinking.

Theory of the unconscious

In his theory of the unconscious, Freud identified three levels of thinking. The conscious level involves awareness of the thoughts. On the preconscious level, information is available through recall. When information is in your preconscious thought, you might not be thinking of it immediately. However, if you require the information for a task, you may be able to bring it to your mind quickly. 

Unconscious thoughts, also called subconscious thoughts, are hidden from you. Because they're a part of your history, and you were once aware of them, they remain a part of who you are. Freud believed these thoughts could appear in dreams or cause psychopathologies and neurotic behavior. Much of Freud's work was designed to uncover thoughts in his patients' unconscious minds so that they could evaluate, consciously process, and move beyond them.

The id, ego, and superego

Another aspect of thought structure identified by Freud was the id, ego, and superego. He saw these three parts of the unconscious mind as a battleground, where the reasonable, rational ego moderated the id's desires and the superego's judgments.

According to Freud, the id is the part of our thinking based on instinctual drives and sexual desires. It’s the aspect of the mind that wants what it wants, regardless of the consequences or morality of acting on those desires.

The superego is often viewed as the conscience. It's the part of your mind that may tell you what's morally right. While your id tells you to go for what you want, your superego warns you that your actions may harm you or others.

The ego is the self. It is the part of your thinking that sorts out the id's desires and the superego's judgments to decide how to proceed in a situation. 

Stages of development

Because Freud believed that life challenges came from childhood—such as traumatic experiences— he developed a theory of child development to explain how different mental health challenges might occur. He proposed five stages of development that healthy individuals go through. He believed people became "stuck" at certain phases if they could not move through them healthily. Below are these stages of psychosexual development: 

• Oral stage (Birth to 1.5 Years): Fixation on oral stimulation, often related to breastfeeding. If stuck in the oral stage, the person may have oral habits, such as extended thumb-sucking or smoking later in life.
• Anal stage (1.5 to 3 Years): The toilet training phase. If stuck in the anal stage, a person may struggle with gastrointestinal challenges. 
• Phallic stage (3 to 5 Years): The phallic phase involves a preoccupation with developing sexuality and a fixation on genitals.
• Latency stage (5 to 12 Years): A phase focused on developing a healthy attraction to individuals of the gender or genders one is attracted to. 
• Genital stage (12 to Adulthood): The previous four stages are integrated for healthy sexual urges and behaviors.

If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.

These stages were Freud's ideas of infantile sexuality. To Freud, sex was any act that caused pleasure. He assumed that all pleasure-seeking in childhood, especially in early childhood, were acts to develop healthy sexual behaviors in adulthood. This theory has been criticized in modern psychology. 

Freudian defense mechanisms

According to the works of Sigmund Freud, he suggested that when the ego is threatened, it calls defense mechanisms into play on an unconscious level. Freud came up with 12 distinct defense mechanisms, including the following: 

• Compensation: Defense mechanisms where you strengthen one attribute to hide another attribute
• Denial: When you refuse to face reality
• Displacement: When you take out your negative feelings on someone else
• Identification: When you attach yourself to a positive person or situation 
• Introjection: When you socially conform to gain approval
• Projection: When you see your faults in the behavior of someone else
• Rationalization: When you use seemingly logical but ultimately false justifications to excuse your mistakes
• Reaction Formation: When you fantasize that you're different
• Regression: When you return to a behavior that was more appropriate at a much younger age
• Repression: When you hide disturbing thoughts, feelings, or information from your conscious mind
• Ritual and Undoing: When you use habits to override the negative
• Sublimation: When you put the energy that seems negative into a more productive activity 

The mind as an energy system

Freud was one of the first documented philosophers in Western society to see the mind as an energy source. Freud saw the body as the energy source for all mental processes. He recognized that humans could only have a limited amount of energy at a time, and that people have energy behind each behavior.

According to Freud, the purpose of human behavior was to relieve tension. In Freudian psychology, the id supplies the energy of the mind through its sexual and aggressive impulses. Freud's mental energy theories saw cathexis, the concentration of sexual energy on one object or person, as the source of neurosis. To release this sexual tension, Freud used psychoanalysis, his talking cure, to achieve catharsis.

Interpretation of dreams

Freud spent a significant amount of time and energy interpreting dreams. In his view, dreams were a vivid key to what was happening in the unconscious of his patients. He interpreted them metaphorically and had a long list of dream symbols he noticed coming up often in the descriptions of his client's dreams. 

Freud believed that dreams relied on metaphors because they happened when the id was active, coming up with desires, while the superego was censoring those thoughts. Freud believed that if he helped his client understand their dreams, he could help them overcome neuroticism.

Psychopathologies

Freud was fascinated with what he called the "psychopathologies" of the human mind. In his practice and psychological works, he saw psychopathologies happening in everyday life. These were thought mistakes in speech, writing, memory, and actions. He often saw these behaviors as mistakes, not as intentional wrongdoing.

Psychology students may joke about the term "Freudian slip." This term comes from Freud's theory that everything a person says is chosen consciously or unconsciously. So, what might seem like a mistake might have had an actual or symbolic meaning. For example, if you made a verbal mistake, Freud might have said you were experiencing an unconscious slip of your subconscious mind, also referred to as a Freudian slip. 

How did Freud conduct psychoanalysis?

When Freud conducted his psychoanalysis sessions, he asked his clients to lie on a couch or chair and relax. He said as little as possible, letting the client work through their concerns of everyday life with minimal guidance, and encouraging free association, prompting the client to move from one association to the next. He also analyzed their dreams based on metaphorical content to identify concepts and patterns beyond their conscious mind.

Why modern psychologists question Freudian psychology

There are two main objections to Freudian psychology today. Although many view Freud as the father of modern psychology, some find his focus on sex—as seen in his theory of psychosexual development and his proposition of the oedipus complex—excessive and unhealthy. While sexual feelings are present for many people (though not all), many other aspects of identity and psychology exist, even in childhood. 

Psychologists also object to Sigmund Freud's theories because they are often geared toward men and give male preference. His work on hysteria represented women in an unfair and unfavorable light, and other forms of sexism in Freud's work are often noted. In addition, Freud does not account for LGBTQ+ identities in his work. Modern psychoanalysts often avoid Freud's extreme and pervasive views about the importance of sex to human behavior and development and the human psyche for these reasons. 

How Freudian psychology still affects the field

People may still be interested in Freudian psychology because it was the basis of some of the first psychological theories in Western culture. Many psychological theorists and researchers have used Freudian psychology terms as a basis for current studies.

Sigmund Freud and defense mechanisms

For example, some psychologists still use the framework of defense mechanisms, including the exact terms proposed in Freudian psychology. Additionally, his thoughts on the mind as an energy system encouraged research into the electrical features of the brain in neurology and psychiatry. Finally, Freud's theory on id, ego, and superego is often used to help people understand themselves better.

A psychoanalyst may offer support if you are experiencing mental health challenges and don't know where to turn. However, there are many therapeutic modalities, and you aren't limited to one viewpoint. 

If the idea of sitting on a psychologist's couch is uncomfortable or you don't have time to commute to an in-person therapist's office, online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp may be a convenient support option to consider instead. This type of platform allows you to schedule appointments at times that are convenient for you and attend sessions from anywhere you have an internet connection.

Forms of psychotherapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can now be used online, and studies suggest that online CBT can be as effective than in-person therapy in many cases.