any distractions from the room or the therapist that might inhibit free associ-
ation. Unfortunately, the process of digging through layers of conscious andunconscious material, as well as avoiding the obstacles and misdirection
thrown in by the threatened ego, is a lengthy one. Clients usually require sev-
eral hour-long therapy sessions a week for a period of perhaps several years.
Consequently, traditional psychoanalysis is expensive and limited to those
who can afford it.
The bulk of time spent in psychoanalysis is devoted to getting at the cru-
cial unconscious material causing the disorder. Because the ego has devotedso much energy and is so strongly motivated to repress the material, this part
of therapy can be difficult. Freud used several tactics to get into the uncon-scious, including free association, dream interpretation, and hypnosis. Unlike
other systems of psychotherapy, in psychoanalysis the therapist actively inter-
prets for clients the significance of their statements, behaviors, and dreams.But Freud cautioned that therapists should not reveal true meanings too
soon. Beginning therapists are often tempted to interpret the unconscious
meaning behind an act or a statement as soon as they perceive it. However,this early insight could be threatening for an unprepared ego, causing the cli-
ent to construct new and stronger unconscious defenses.
Nonetheless, when the timing is right, the psychoanalyst interprets state-
ments and dream symbols for clients until they understand their true mean-ing. An excellent example of this is found in one of Freud ’s famous case
studies, the case of Dora. Dora was an 18-year-old patient from an affluent
family. She complained of headaches and other physical problems. One area
of trauma for Dora concerned a married couple, who Freud referred to as
Mr. and Mrs. K. Mrs. K. was having an affair with Dora ’s father. To make
matters worse, Mr. K. had made sexual advances toward Dora. One day dur-
ing therapy, Dora related the following dream:
A house was on fire. My father was standing beside my bed and woke me up. I
dressed quickly. Mother wanted to stop and save her jewel-case; but Father said:“I refuse to let myself and my two children be burnt for the sake of your
jewel-case. ”We hurried downstairs, and as soon as I was outside, I woke up.
(1901/1953, p. 64)
To the untrained ear, the dream seems innocent and meaningless enough,
similar to dreams we all have and give little thought to. But for Freud, the
dream was filled with clues about the causes of Dora ’s problems. With a little
questioning, Freud learned that shortly before the dream, Mr. K. had given
Dora an expensive jewel case as a present. With this information, Freud had
all the pieces to the puzzle he needed. As he explained to Dora,
Perhaps you do not know that “jewel-case ”is a favourite expression for the
female genitals. …You said to yourself: “This man is persecuting me; he wants to
force his way into my room. My ‘jewel-case ’is in danger, and if anything hap-
pens it will be Father ’s fault. ”For that reason in the dream you chose a situation
which expresses the opposite— a danger from which your father is saving you.
Mr. K. is to be put in the place of your father just as he was in the matter of
standing beside your bed. He gave you a jewel-case; so you are to give him yourApplication: Psychoanalysis 57