Psychodynamic Theorist Paper

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Psychodynamic Theorist Paper

Freud was one of the first to put his theories to work with actual work with patients in clinical care. He always wanted to be a physician and found his niche in the world of psychology. Although well-known and respected, many of his peers and students started to alienate themselves from his works because of the blatant association of his works to deviant sexuality. Psychologists use the art of listening which was first used by Freud. Added to that are many techniques such as life span development theory and non-judgmental empathetic approach.

Why was Freud's work so influential?
Freud was one of the first of his peer group to have very different views. Most of the current theorists of his day were not fond of by other psychologists. This was due to the way he related most of his concepts back to a sexual nature. He contributed most neuroses to a repression of sexual needs and this was not the current thinking of his day in a Victorian era. Freud was considered a very brilliant man and entered the university in Vienna at age 17. There he decided to become a physician and studied conditions of the brain which led him to the field of psychoanalysis. He was highly respected during his tenure as a physician and analyst. He introduced the concept of talking with a patient to find out what issues and problems were occurring. Of course, his take of most of the problems with anyone that he cared for was always attributed back to some type of sexual repression (Zeff, 2010).

Eric Erikson's theories were an outgrowth of what Freud started. He centered his work also on the stages of psychosocial development or life span development. These stages came in opposites. This meant if a stage was not satisfied, then the alternate was a negative outcome. These stages went through the growth of life. Erikson's stages emphasized the social ...