The Differing Practices and Beliefs of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung

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Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung started out their relationship as mentor and mentee, respectively. Jung diverted from Freudian thought to create his own theories after discovering how many ways he did not agree with Freud. The differences between these two psychologists are extremely visible with the use of application and comparison. Numerous examples of Freudian practice and analysis are found in A.A. Brill’s The Basic Writings of Sigmund Freud. Freud’s no-holds-barred form of therapy, commonly known as free association, is radical in its own right; let alone when compared to Jung’s analytical approach. Robertson Davies’s The Manticore provides a storyline that exemplifies Jung’s analytical therapy. Although both schools of psychology provide a belief or practice of therapy, projection, and religion, they are extremely unique, and can shed light on the core differences between Freud and Jung.
Jung’s analytical therapy attempts to resolve internal conflict between the unconscious and conscious within the individual by creating a balance. Davies’s use of Jungian therapy in The Manticore shows that, in contrast to Freud’s psychoanalysis, the therapist’s input is necessary to guiding the client to this balance. For clients such as Davey, the story’s main character, it can be difficult to come up with reasons for life issues, and/or how an experience or person in their pasts can cause problems within the clients’ psyche in the future. Having a knowledgeable expert who provides both guidance and advice alone can lessen clients’ anxiety over being in therapy.
Freud’s free association therapy, also known as psychoanalysis, is much less individual-targeted than Jung’s is. Instead of having a guided experience with the analyst li...

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...ance. By approaching religion as simply another tool in analytical therapy, Jung puts himself at an advantage by having another element to factor into his analyses of clients.
Analytic therapies are often at odds over which type is the most objective. Freud’s psychoanalysis, as basic as it is, leaves room for unrelated and unimportant information to cloud a client’s judgment and conclusions. Jungian therapy provides a guideline that trains the client, and is both logical and open to change. As Davies comes to a closing of The Manticore, he writes about Davey having both clarity and happiness- both of which he had been missing in the beginning of his therapy with Dr. von Haller. “…and I was free to go down if I pleased. And I did please, for I sensed that there was treasure down there. I was filled with happiness, and I knew that this was what I wanted most.”

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