Some Arguments About Free Association as a Technique.
free association
free association and its limits
modifications in using free association
psychotherapy technique
technique
Journal
American journal of psychoanalysis
ISSN: 1573-6741
Titre abrégé: Am J Psychoanal
Pays: England
ID NLM: 0372630
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Mar 2023
Mar 2023
Historique:
medline:
10
4
2023
pubmed:
15
2
2023
entrez:
14
2
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Freud, early in psychoanalytic history, modified hypnotic technique and recommended, in its stead, free association. This paper takes a close look at the theoretical foundations of that technique in light of theoretical developments over the past hundred plus years. It is argued that free association is similar to an asymptote, which is never quite reached. Moreover, it is argued that the direction to free associate is contraindicated in many, if not most, psychological disturbances. Guided association or avoidance of free association is sometimes required. For a limited group of patients, whose major ego functions (abstraction, integration, and reality testing), ego strengths (impulse control, affect tolerance, and containing primary process), object relations (capacities for empathy, trust, and closeness), and superego (shame/guilt) are intact, the direction to use the couch and attempt to free associate may still be quite useful. For most people who present for treatment, however, this approach is likely not beneficial. The complex arguments about the decision-making process regarding free association are discussed.
Identifiants
pubmed: 36782042
doi: 10.1057/s11231-023-09393-y
pii: 10.1057/s11231-023-09393-y
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
22-35Informations de copyright
© 2023. Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis.
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