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By Chege Gerald.
Psychodynamic theories as paradigm in childhood development and contemporary
Counselling practice
Pennsylvania father Zion Isaiah Shockley has been charged with first-degree murder after
police say “Call of Duty” players called him a “failure” and he took out his frustration by
throwing his five-month-old daughter. (Miami Herald News, Feb 22, 2018). Why do people
Development psychologists proposed theories that try to explain the changes in the
physical, cognitive and social development of an individual’s life-span. Kail and Cavanaugh
(2013) explain that Psychodynamic theories hold that development is largely determined by how
well people resolve conflicts they face at different ages. This perspective traces its roots to
Sigmund Freud’s theory that personality emerges through conflicts that children experience
between what they want to do and what society wants them to do. (p. 12). The deprivation,
neglect or disruption of the changes in development have significant effects on the child.
(Shonkoff, Ritcher, Gaag & Bhutta, 2011). I will analyze Freud’s defense mechanisms and
In his theory of the self, Freud gives the three main parts of self; id, ego and superego.
The ego which is the healthiest part of the self-acts as the mediator of the Id and Superego which
develops as the child learns the limits on what is acceptable to do or wait to have his/her needs
satisfied. (Dimitriadus & Kambarelis, 2006). Psychoanalysts believe that depression is caused by
anger which is then converted into self-hatred. Parents who are overindulgent, demanding,
hostile, inconsiderate, angry create a hostile world to the child. The child feels lonely, confused,
helpless and angry and unlovable. As a counsellor, I have a responsibility of assisting the child to
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Psychodynamic theories as paradigm in childhood development and contemporary
Counselling practice
gain insight into the mistaken foundations laid in-order to discover and appreciate oneself. The
ego deals with the id and superego demands but when the anxiety is overwhelming, it defends
that reduces anxiety arising from unacceptable or potentially harmful stimuli. Defense
Denial involves blocking external events out of conscious awareness. A person refuses to
experience a situation. Youths and adult try to use this method in defending their bad actions and
behavior. A youth smoker may refuse to admit that smoking is bad to his/her health. It is a
primitive and dangerous defense and no one cannot get with it forever.
awareness. (A. Freud, 1936). Sexual thoughts towards a parent, sister, brother, same-sex among
the youths are able to be controlled and hidden from becoming conscious. It is not a very
successful defense in the long term since it involves forcing disturbing wishes, ideas or
memories into the unconscious. The desires may come in other symptoms which are antisocial. It
Displacement involves redirecting an impulse onto a substitute target (A. Freud, 1936).
The impulse is acceptable to a person but threatened by the object of the impulse. A person
frustrated directs his/her anger toward someone or something. A case in my introduction serves
well.
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Psychodynamic theories as paradigm in childhood development and contemporary
Counselling practice
feelings and motives in other people. (A. Freud, !936). Accusing someone of mistakes done by
you. An example is one accusing the wife of infidelity because he has the sexual attraction to
another woman.
Regression is a movement back in psychological time when one is faced with stress. (A.
Freud, 1936) A child sucking thumb again or wet the bed when they need to spend some time
back in a hospital. Teenager giggling uncontrollably when introduced into a social situation with
threatening. (A. Freud, 1936). It involves giving excuses and lies. This is evident to all of us as
we tend t make unreal facts fit into our conscious and make them real.
Reaction formation makes a person go beyond denial and behaves in the opposite way to
which he/ she thinks or feels. It is characterized by showiness and compulsiveness. Freud claims
that men who are prejudice against homosexuals try to make the defense against their own
Being one of the neo-Freudians, Erick Erickson developed eight stages of psychosocial
development. In contrast with Freud’s idea of focusing on the sexual interest as a driving force in
the development, Erickson believed that social interaction and experience played decisive roles.
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Psychodynamic theories as paradigm in childhood development and contemporary
Counselling practice
within the broader framework of the Freudian theory. Personality development is conceived as
an epigenetic process in which each item of personality is related to all others so that all depend
upon the proper development at the proper time of each component. Analysis of the growth
process reveals these components of mental health developing in sequential stages: a sense of
basic trust; a sense of autonomy; a sense of initiative; a sense of industry; a sense of ego identity;
Conclusion.
We are faced with a developmental conflict which impacts further growth. Successive
caregiver and counselor, providing care, being reliable, encouraging and commending child help
him/her develop a sense of trust, competence and belief in their skills through social interactions.
This is achieved through the strength-based approaches when interacting with children.
early stages of a child’s development. The contribution of the theorists to guidance and
counselling is beyond doubt. Our debt to them is incalculable. We should look and listen where
we have not, and we look with the sharper eye and listen with a more attentive ear. As a
counsellor, being consistent, moderate, friendly, encouraging and creating a healthy environment
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Psychodynamic theories as paradigm in childhood development and contemporary
Counselling practice
References.
1. Dimitriadus, G., & Kambarelis, G. (2006). Sigmund Freud. Theory for education (pp. 17- 28).
3. Kail, R.V., & Cavanaugh, J.C. (2013). Human development: A life-span view. Belmont, CA:
4. Shonkoff JP, Richter L, van der Gaag J, Bhutta ZA. (2011). An integrated scientific
framework for child survival and early childhood development. Center on the,
USA.
5. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article201659469.html