Psychodynamic Comparison
Though there are numerous psychological theories, the three psychiatrists that have been influential in constructing their ideas are Freud, Jung, and Adler. Each of these therapeutic approaches offers an understanding into human behavior and provides substance for a counseling practice (Corey, 2017).
Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist, felt that people’s personalities are driven and shaped by conscious and subconscious events often influenced by the experiences during childhood. Freud advanced the idea of psychoanalysis which is an insight-oriented therapy focusing to address and bring unfulfilled desires, forgotten hurts, and frustrations. According to Freud, it was possible for psychologists to cure dysfunction in the current lie of a human being. Later, the therapy to pull back the curtain with the purpose of revealing forces which guide human functioning and personality was referred as a psychodynamic approach to psychology. Freud would propose that the human beings feelings, thoughts, personality, self-perception, and mind have been built into three parts which are unequal; ego, superego, and the id. The ego represents the conscious thoughts while the superego depicts the social conscience and finally, id shows an individual’s sub-consciousness, inner desires, and pleasure-seeking. Freud describes the human being psyche as an iceberg that is loose in the sea (Hall, 1957). While the superego and ego are visible from the water surface, the largest part of an individual is hidden underneath in particular, at the inky depths of one’s subconscious. The id is not reasonable or logical while the ego seeks to have the id satisfied in the safest way possible and the superego has the responsibility of keeping track of the social norms and guilt. An individual is defined by an encounter between the three forces present in the psyche’s subconscious. Also, Freud advocated that the main force of energy present in the psyche is libido. This is a form of energy created by sexual and survival often needs below the thought’s point of conscious. The libido constantly seeks satisfaction of the desire to experience pleasure and be safe. Nevertheless, as people grow older, the need of controlling the basic needs and wants becomes conflicting with the id’s rampaging.
However, modern psychology has extensively rejected the theories advocated by Freud. The assertion is that they lack insight in the prediction of behavior and they are not effective in having the behavior altered which are the primary goals of modern psychology. Nonetheless, the psychodynamic approach offers an exceptional insight into the background of human behavior. When Freud proposed in the early 1900s of the idea impacting an individual’s psyche subconscious, it was a new and fresh perspective. Freud’s ideas of the psyche’s three elements have been of influence to various psychological perspectives. Besides, the insights he provided in relation to how ego helps in the creation of defense mechanisms to offer protection to self including other personality elements still influences modern psychology. While Freud’s theories have been criticized and often denied, the impact he had in the field of the study of human behavior cannot be denied.
In the 20th century, Carl Jung’s work was referred to be the beginning of analytical psychology. Jung was a close associate of Freud hence shared the same beliefs of the therapeutic value of consciousness and talk. Nonetheless, Jung believed more in folklore, mythology, and cultural experiences in the understanding of human consciousness. As a result, he developed the individualization idea or what is referred to as the coming into being of a person’s self with the ability to incorporate personal experience with cultural and historical symbolism (Jung, 1916). After Jung, the analytical psychology has subdivided into three main groups. Psychologists following the work of Jung have been referred to as classical.
On the other hand, developmental analytical psychology has its focus more on how personalities can develop into an individual. Finally, archetypal psychology is associated with taking a spiritual, therapeutic approach by looking at the originality of the problem, the cultural experience and history, and the neuroses in mythology. According to the analytical psychology pillars, unconsciousness is the most significant aspect of the human being psyche. Thus, making unconscious known helps in the attainment and healing of the wholeness. Jung had the belief that human suffering was caused by neurosis which can be anxiety, depression, or mental illness of advanced nature (Jung, 1916). In addition, the analytical psychology shadow represents the parts of the individual’s self either projected or denied onto others. Jung stated that mythology was like being in a dream where the shadow constantly translates into evil animals or dark figures. Generally, people subscribing to analytical psychology believe in the psychoanalysis value as an approach to clinical therapeutic. Unlike the psychoanalysis by Freud, Jungian’s is likely to form integration with art therapy and other types of creative expression as a way to get the ideas which are unconscious. Corbett (2005) states the dreams analysis is a critical aspect of the approach of analytical psychology.
Among the significant contributions of analytical psychology could be the definition of the types of psychology. For instance, analytical psychology makes a distinction between introverts who are inwardly focused from the extroverts who tend to be more focused on other people and not self. In trying to have people understand themselves, contemporary personality tests such as the Myers-Briggs test borrow ideas from analytical psychology.
Finally, Alfred Adler was a psychiatrist who admired Freud and closely worked together. Adler believed in the psychoanalytic model developed by Freud. This model was of the view that many psychological problems developed from emotions that were repressed. Nonetheless, Adler was not in total agreement with the views of Freud as his ideas were more from a humanistic view of the human life which argues that people are always seeking to improve themselves. This point of thinking was in contradiction to Freud who advocated that human beings motivation came from the things they lacked. In addition, Adler felt that the desire for social involvement and personal values should be psychoanalysis central idea and hence naming his theory individual psychology (Murphy, 1932).
The assumption of the theory of individual psychology is that human being’s motivation is developed from social factors and they are responsible for their actions, feelings, and thoughts. Moreover, the theory assumes that people are driven by goals and purpose and tends to focus on the future. Adler would propose that individuals have the capacity to influence and interpret events. Therefore, while environmental and biological conditions have the ability of limiting hat people choose, these factors are not as significant as the choices to be made. According to Adler, the choices are fueled by the life tasks which include:
1. Social tasks which involves having healthy relationships and building lasting friendships
2. Love-marriage tasks responsible for creating intimacy
3. Occupational tasks, which is a career allowing one to make a noble contribution to the society

Counselors who wish to utilize individual psychology have to undergo the following phases of therapy.
1. Develop equal partnership through proper therapeutic relationship
2. Perform an assessment to explore a clients psychological dynamics
3. Assist the client to gain an insight by encouraging self-understanding
4. Reorient and reeducate the clients to help them make new choices

It is important to remember that Jung, Freud, and Adler concepts resulted from living in a world dominated by men where scientific objectivity in the field of psychology was under development. Their conclusions and methods of research were questioned. Nonetheless, their ideas have been of great impact and this makes them three of the most popular individuals in the psychological world.

Reference
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