The psychodynamic model is the oldest and most well-known of the modern psychological models. It was first developed by Sigmund Freud in the early 20th century.

According to this model, human behavior, whether normal or abnormal, is shaped by unconscious psychological forces. These forces are dynamic because they interact with each other. This interaction gives rise to our thoughts, emotions, and actions. Abnormal behavior is viewed as the result of conflict between these forces. Freud believed that three forces shape the personality and the normal and abnormal functioning as well. These operate at the unconscious level. These are the id, the ego, and the superego.

The Id

The Id represents instinctual needs, drives and impulses. Id works on the pleasure principle. It seeks immediate gratification. Freud said id is fuelled by libido (sexual energy). From infancy, children find pleasure through activities like nursing or playing, which Freud linked with sexual impulses.

The Ego

The Ego develops as children grow and they realize not all needs can be met immediately. For example, our parents are not always there to fulfil our needs. At this stage, a part of the id develops into the ego. Like the id, the ego also wants satisfaction, but it works on the reality principle. The ego uses reason and experience to guide us, showing when it is okay and when it is not okay to express our impulses.

The Superego

The Superego works on morality principle, which tells us what is right and what is wrong. It develops from ego and represents moral standards. As children, we adopt our parents’ values, feeling proud when we follow them and guilty when we don’t. This forms our conscience.

According to Freud, these three parts often conflict with each other. In a healthy personality there is a balance, but when the conflict is too excessive, a person may show signs of dysfunction.

Freud also stressed that early experiences and parent-child relationships play an important role in shaping later behavior. He believed that no symptom or behavior is accidental; all are determined by past events (childhood events).

 

He proposed a series of psychosexual stages of development:

  1. Oral stage
  2. Anal stage
  3. Phallic stage
  4. Latency stage
  5.  Genital stage

At each stage, the id, ego and superego face new challenges. If these challenges or conflicts are handled successfully, the child grows into a healthy adult. But if not, the person becomes fixed (stuck) at that stage, leading to abnormal functioning in adulthood.

Freud’s theory created a strong foundation in psychology, but these had also limitations. So, the Neo-Freudians accepted Freud’s idea of unconscious forces and modified them. Two well-known and influential approaches are:

1) Self theory: It focuses on the role of self as a whole. It said the main human drive is to build and maintain a unified and strong self. When the self is weak or broken, psychological problems can appear.

2) Object Relations Theory: It focuses on the importance of relationships, especially between child and caregiver. Poor relationships in early life can cause abnormal development later.

Overall, psychodynamic model explains both normal and abnormal functioning as the result of interactions between unconscious forces within the personality – the id, ego and superego. When these forces are in balance, normal functioning occurs, while abnormal functioning develops from excessive conflicts, problems in childhood development or unresolved traumas.

Treatment procedure (Psychodynamic Therapy):

Psychodynamic therapies include Freudian psychoanalysis and modern approaches like self-theory and object relations theory. These therapies uncover past traumas and inner conflicts that affect a person’s current life. The goal is to help clients resolve these conflicts and continue their personal growth.

Therapists use different techniques, such as:

1) Free association:
In this technique, the patient is responsible for starting and leading each discussion. The therapist told to describe any thought, feeling or mental images come to mind, even if seen unimportant. The therapist believes that these random thoughts will eventually reveal unconscious conflicts.

2) Therapist’s interpretation

Therapists listen carefully and share interpretations when the patient is ready to hear. They focus on three main areas:

  • Resistance: Patients unconsciously avoid topics or stop talking to escape painful memories.
  • Transference: When patients start to act or feel toward the therapist the same way they do toward key people in their lives.
  • Dreams: Therapists also analysis dreams to understand the patient’s hidden desire.

3) Catharsis:

In this technique, patients need to release past repressed feelings. It is done not just to understand them but to resolve inner conflicts.

4) Working Through:

A single episode of interpretation and catharsis is not enough to change the way of function. The patients and therapist must examine the same issue over and over in the course of many sessions. The process can take months or even years.

 

Advantages of this model:

  1. This model shows that abnormal behavior can come from psychological causes, not beyond just biological factors.
  2.  It explains that both normal and abnormal behavior come from the same mental processes, and when psychological conflict becomes too strong abnormal happens.
  3. This model use theory for treatment and prove that psychological therapy can work, inspiring many other therapies.

Disadvantages of this model:

  1. Concepts like id, ego and superego and unconscious drives are abstract and cannot be directly measures or proven scientifically.
  2. This theory is based on case studies and there are limited research evidence.