Name of Theory

Author

Psychodynamic Theories
Psychoanalytic
Sigmund Freud
Theory

Adlerian Theory

Alfred Adler

Analytical Psychology

Carl Jung

Object Relations
Theory

Melanie Klein

Definition

This theory of Sigmund Freud is

partly autobiographical because he
based some of his major concepts in
his childhood experiences. In this
theory, there are three structures of
personality, namely the id, ego and
the superego. His view in the human
nature is pessimistic. We are
doomed to anxiety, to thwarting of
impulses, and to tension and
conflict. The goal of life is to reduce
conflict.
It presents optimistic view of the
people while resting heavily in the
notion of social interest, that is, the
feeling of oneness in humankind.
It is the assumption that a
phenomena can influence the lives
of everyone. He believed that all of
us is motivated not only by
repressed experiences but also by
certain
emotionally
toned
experiences inherited from our
ancestors. He also argued that
personality is shaped by the future
as well as the past and placed
greater
emphasis
on
the
unconscious.
This theory was made on careful
observations of young children. In
contrast to Freud, Klein gave
importance of the first 4 to 6 months
of birth. She insisted that the
infants drive are directed to an
object. According to her, the childs
relation to the breast is fundamental

School of
Thought
Psychoanalysis

Individual
Psychology

Psychoanalysis

Kleinian

Assessment

Psychoanalytic
Theory

Karen Horney

Humanistic
Psychoanalysis

Erich Fromm

Interpersonal Theory

Harry Stack
Sullivan

Post-Freudian Theory

Erik Erikson

Humanistic/Existential Theories
Holistic-Dynamic
Abraham
Theory
Maslow

and serves as a prototype for later

relations to whole objects, such as
the mother and the father.
This theory was built on the
assumption that social and cultural
conditions,
especially
childhood
experiences, are largely responsible
for shaping personality. People who
do not have their needs for love and
affection satisfied during childhood
develop basic hostility toward their
parents, and as consequence, suffer
from basic anxiety.
This theory assumes that humanitys
separation from the natural world
has produced feelings of loneliness
and isolation, a condition called
basic anxiety.
It emphasizes the importance of
various
developmental
stagesinfancy, childhood, the juvenile era,
preadolescence, early adolescence,
late adolescence, and adulthood.
Healthy human development rests
on a persons ability to establish
intimacy with another person, but
unfortunately anxiety can interfere
with
satisfying
interpersonal
relations at any age.
This
theory
extended
Freuds
infantile developmental stages into
adolescence, adulthood, and old
age. He suggested that at each
stage
a
specific
psychosocial
struggle contributes to the formation
of personality.
It assumes that the whole person is
constantly being motivated by one

Psychoanalysis

Functionalism

Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis

Humanistic

Person-Centered
Theory

Carl Rogers

Existential
Psychology

Rollo May

Dispositional Theories
Psychology of the
Gordon Allport
Individual

need or another and that people

have the potential to grow toward
psychological
health
(selfactualization). To attain this, people
must satisfy lower level needs such
as hunger, safety, love, and esteem.
Only after they are relatively
satisfied in each of these needs can
they reach self-actualization.
Also known as client-centered
theory. It grew out of the
experiences
as
a
practicing
psychotherapist. It proposes that we
are conscious, rational beings not
controlled by the unconscious forces
or past experiences. Personality can
only
be
understood
by
a
phenomenological approach, that is,
from an individuals own view-point
based on his or her experiences.
According to this theory, people are
complex beings capable of both
tremendous good and immense evil.
Its basic tenet is that existence
precedes essence, meaning that
what people do is more important
that what they are.
In his theory, Allport emphasized the
uniqueness of the individual. He
believed that attempts to describe
people in terms of general traits rob
them of their unique individuality. He
also believed that our fates and our
traits are not determined by
unconscious motives originating in
early childhood but by the conscious
choices we make in the present.

Humanistic

Existentialistic

Cognitivism

Trait and Factor

Theories

Learning Theories
Behavioral Analysis

Hans Eysenck
Raymond
Cattell
Robert R.
McCrae
Paul Costa Jr.

It takes into consideration the

researches
made
to
measure
personality.

Cognitivism

Burrhus
Frederic
Skinner

In this theory, Skinner focused

mainly on observable behavior. He
believed that people are not free but
are controlled by environmental
forces. They may seem to be
motivated by inner causes, but in
reality those causes can be traced to
sources outside the individual.
This theory rests on several basic
assumptions. First, the outstanding
characteristic
of
humans
is
plasticity; that is humans have the
flexibility
to
learn
variety
of
behaviors in diverse situations.
Second, through a triadic reciprocal
causation
model
that includes
behavioral
environment
and
personal factors, people have the
capacity to regulate their lives. Third
is that it takes an
agentic
perspective, meaning that humans
have the capacity to exercise control
over the nature and quality of their
lives.
This theory rest in the assumption
that cognitive factors help shape
how
people
will
react
to
environmental factors. It objects to
Skinners explanation that behavior
is
shaped
by
immediate

Behaviorism

Social Cognitive
Theory

Albert
Bandura

Social Learning
Theory

Julian Rotter
Walter Mischel

Cognitivism

Behaviorism

reinforcement and instead suggest

that ones expectations of future
events are prime determinants of
performance.

CASE STUDY
History

Results

Jodie contacted her therapist because

she didnt have a minute of one day
when she didnt feel depressed. Jodie is
an IT professional attached to the US
military and was stationed in Germany
until just recently. Apart from her
depression, she was obese, had various
medical problems and was on constant
medication.

Jodie was in a state that called for a clear

head and thought. She is the type of
person who had been known to withdraw
from others when things got too much
for her so I was happy that she appeared
for the session. She was unusually
agitated and somewhat aggressive and
accusatory, something I was not used to
from her. This session turned out to
be the catalyst for what I consider a
successful end to therapy. Jodie in a
recent communication with me cited the
CBT techniques learnt in our sessions as
the major reason for her change in
mindset.

Jodie came from humble roots growing

up in a military family in the US with two
siblings. Her mother was a neurotic who
spent most of Jodies early life in some
form of institution, leaving Jodies
primary care to her older sister. Her
father was a soldier who was often
posted abroad, taking the family with
him. The parents had strong religious
views and were highly influenced by the
fire and brimstone style of preaching
seen in the Bible Belt at that time. For
this reason, out of marriage relationships
and sex were seen as the devils work.
During our sessions, Jodie revealed that
she, at the age of 42, had never even
come close to a sexual experience. All of
these factors contributed to Jodies view
of herself and the world around her
causing unhappiness and depression.
However, a breakthrough in therapy

Assessment

revealed a complicated relationship

between Jodie and her older sister who
was apparently jealous of her younger
sibling and so behaved in such a way
that forced Jodie to feel inferior and
subversive. The relationship turned into
a love-hate roller coaster that played out
over several decades. Jodies whole
experience of being molded by her
sister to believe that she was no good
had created her window of reference on
the world and ultimately her depression.
One of the side effects of this was a
severe lack of assertiveness and in her
words constant cowering down and
meekness
Lisa was in outpatient treatment for six
years. This is her fifth inpatient
confinement. She was first diagnosed
with major depression followed by
bipolar mood disorder, then borderline
personality disorder, before receiving the
posttraumatic stress diagnosis two years
ago. Lisa is quite dependent on her
outpatient therapist who she sees three
times per week, and who is becoming
exhausted by the demands of treating
this labile and needy patient.

Prepared by:
Maria Korina B. Cabungcal
MA in Clinical Psychology

The Trauma Program's confrontive, yet

supportive style, offered Lisa a chance to
move from supervision to independence.
It helped her find and use the strength
within her to set and meet treatment
goals and to begin setting and working
toward real life goals. Lisa's outpatient
therapist and psychiatrist were regularly
informed of her progress. Upon her
return home, Lisa was scheduled to see
her outpatient therapist twice weekly.
With the help of Trauma Program staff,
limits were set on phone calls between
therapy sessions. Lisa enrolled in college
part-time and began working a few hours
each week.

University of Batangas