Part II    Psychodynamic Theories52
fei75766_ch02_019-071.indd 52  02/19/20 08:59 AMApplications of Psychoanalytic Theory
Freud wasaninnovative speculator, probably more concerned withtheory building 
thanwithtreating sickpeople. Hespent much ofhistimeconducting therapy not
onlytohelppatients butalsotogaininsights intohuman personality necessary to
expound psychoanalytic theory. Thissection looks atFreud’s early therapeutic tech-
nique, hislatertechnique, andhisviews ondreams andunconscious slips.
Freud’s Early Therapeutic Technique
Prior tohisuseoftherather passive psychotherapeutic technique offreeassociation, 
Freud hadrelied onamuch more active approach. InStudies on Hysteria (Breuer &
Freud, 1895/1955), Freud described histechnique ofextracting repressed childhood 
memories:
Iplaced myhand onthepatient’s forehead ortookherhead between myhands and
said:“You willthink ofitunder thepressure ofmyhand. Atthemoment atwhich 
Irelax mypressure youwillseesomething infront ofyouorsomething willcome 
intoyourhead. Catch holdofit.Itwillbewhat wearelooking for.—Well, what have
youseenorwhat hasoccurred toyou?”
 Onthefirstoccasions onwhich Imade useofthisprocedure ...Imyself was
surprised tofindthatityielded metheprecise results thatIneeded. 
(pp.110–111)
Indeed, suchahighly suggestive procedure wasverylikely toyield theprecise results 
Freud needed, namely, theconfession ofachildhood seduction. Moreover, while 
Freud’s consulting room. 
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