Clinical Terms and Concepts in Psychoanalysis

 

UNCONSCIOUS = Logic of emotions. Having ulterior motives for what we are doing, and not being aware of them.

 

REPETITION COMPULSION = Somehow you end up in the same bad corner and don’t know why.

 

FREE ASSOCIATION = Whatever comes to mind, don’t censor it.

 

TRANSFERENCE = How you experience our connection through the lens of your own past and present relationships. It’s how you peg me (distortion).

 

COUNTERTRANSFERENCE = My informed gut feeling about you, based on your reaction to me. It’s how you come across emotionally to me.

 

ATTACHMENT STYLES = How you bonded with your mother/primary caretaker, in several ways.

 

PROJECTION = Part of the transference. How you unload your unwanted personal traits on me and only allow your version of me.

 

DISSOCIATION = How you unconsciously split-off parts of your memories and/or feelings that are too unbearable and traumatic to become conscious.

 

ANGER = Tears gone acidic. Anger hides hurt.

 

BOUNDARIES = Being aware of us being separate people and respect individual differences, re: needs and opinions.

 

ENACTMENTS = Mutually replaying old dysfunctional relationship patterns in words and actions between client and therapist (acting angrily).