Psychoanalytic Family Therapy Paper

Psychoanalytic family therapy has a number of strengths. Nichols (2014) states “the essence of psychoanalytic treatment is uncovering unconscious impulses and defenses against impulses” (p. 150). Psychoanalytic therapy looks at the subconscious and the impact it has on behavior. Psychoanalytic therapists encourage patients to explore their emotions in depth. The focus of the psychoanalytic theory model is to understand family members innate feelings and emotions. As a result of exploring emotions, patients are able to understand themselves better. Therapists look beyond the behavior of patients and work to uncover the hidden meaning beyond them. Analytic therapists help patients recognize their issues from their underlying conflicts and help them deal with them. They also help patients become independent and related. the model looks to discover the wants and fears of individuals. Another strength of the model is therapists

There may be evidence of families who have had success with psychoanalytic therapy, however, there is no scientific evidence proving its effectiveness. It is impossible to measure person's unconscious. The therapists may be able to interpret the experiences of their patients, but they can not read their minds. Another weakness of the therapy is that it is subjective and may produce bias. Again, the information presented is not measureable. The psychoanalytic family therapy models requires a lot of time talking about emotions and events of the past. A limitation to this is that patients may not want to face their emotions. Some patients suppress feelings because it is difficult to deal with. Trauma and challenging situations make people try to block the negative emotions from surfacing. Most of the focus in this therapy is on the past rather than the present. Too much time spent in the past may cause more damage to the