Women and psychology

Perhaps the most important contribution I made to psychodynamic thought was my disagreements with Freud’s view of women. I was never a student of Freud, but did study his work and eventually taught psychoanalysis at both the Berlin and New York Psychoanalytic Institute. After my insistence that Freud’s view of the inherent difference between males and females, I agreed to leave the institute and form my own school known as the American Institute for Psychoanalysis.

In many ways, I was well ahead of my time and although I died before the feminist movement took hold, I was perhaps the theorist who changed the way psychology looked at gender differences. I countered Freud’s concept of penis envy with what I called womb envy, or man’s envy of woman’s ability to bear children. I argued that men compensate for this inability by striving for achievement and success in other realms.

I also disagreed with Freud’s belief that males and females were born with inherent differences in their personality. Rather than citing biological differences, I argued for a societal and cultural explanation. In my view, men and women were equal outside of the cultural restrictions often placed on being female. These views, while not well accepted at the time, were used years after my death to help promote gender equality.

Me and my GAL!!!

I want to introduce you Susan Quilliam she is a British psychologist with particular focus on personal relationships. She works as an advice columnist, writer, broadcaster, consultant, trainer and coach. I am very proud of her and all of her accomplishments.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.What is the difference between psychoanalysis and psychotherapy? 

Psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy share many goals and methods. Both approach each person as an individual with a unique history and personal experience. Both work to reduce symptoms and help people to progress in their lives. Both involve an intensive effort to listen and understand the uniqueness of each person. In psychoanalytic psychotherapy meetings are less frequent, and the work may focus more on current situations and problem solving than on deeper understanding and reworking of unconscious conflicts. 

2.Who can benefit from psychoanalysis? 

Psychoanalysis is particularly useful with problems which have been enduring or repetitive. Some individuals seek psychoanalysis after having tried other forms of treatment without lasting relief. Others may wish to understand the sources of their difficulties in a deeper way. Many people may function satisfactorily at work or home but are troubled inside. Being worried or persistently unhappy, feeling blocked, having troubles in intimate relationships or jobs, or being puzzled about yourself and your behavior are valid reasons for speaking with a psychoanalyst. Typical issues include: 

• trouble in work situations such as conflicts with employers or co-workers or failure to advance 

• repetitive patterns of disappointment or conflicts in personal relationships 

• making self-defeating choices 

• difficulty in achieving life goals 

• feeling lethargic and disconnected from friends and colleagues 

• physical complaints which might be manifestations of underlying emotional conflict 

• coping with depression, anxiety, or anger. 

3.Who is a psychoanalyst? 

A psychoanalyst is a licensed mental health clinician (generally a psychiatrist, psychologist, or social worker) who has completed psychoanalytic training. The PINE Psychoanalytic Center is a member of the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA). The training through the PINE Institute conforms to the standards of the APsaA, and psychoanalysts trained under their auspices must meet high ethical, psychological, and professional standards. PINE is also accredited nationally by the Accreditation Council for Psychoanalytic Education (ACPE).

4.What is transference?

In the course of a psychoanalytic treatment, patient and analyst create an intimate relationship, built on trust and shared curiosity about the mind of the patient. It is inevitable that the patient develops strong feelings about the analyst, often repeating important aspects of early formative relationships. These emotional experiences, referred to as transferences, reflect unconscious needs which are powerfully recreated in the treatment. Understanding them in this context produces important insight and frees the person to move beyond problematic repetitions.

5.What is the purpose of the couch?

In psychoanalysis, the analyst usually sits behind the patient who lies on the couch. This arrangement minimizes distractions and increases the patient’s relaxed introspection. When facing the psychoanalyst, it is easy, without realizing it, for the patient to scan the analyst's face for reactions. Facing away from the analyst enables the patient to more easily access thoughts, feelings, and fantasies, and to have associations emerge more freely, giving the patient and analyst more access to the workings of the patient's mind.

6.Is it true that psychoanalysts are silent?

Psychoanalysts are generally non-directive listeners in order to give patients the opportunity to develop their own direction. However, psychoanalysis is fundamentally a conversation in which both patient and analyst contribute to the rich and intimate dialogue.

7.Is psychoanalytic treatment all about sex?

In psychoanalytic theory, libido or "sexuality" is not limited to the meanings in common use. Psychoanalysts understand libido as the source of all pleasurable thoughts and behaviors. In psychoanalysis, much attention is given to "sexuality" and its various non-sexual transformations so that a person may have free access to desire and the capacity to experience pleasure in intimate relationships, friendships, parenting, creative endeavors, work, and so forth.

But first lemme take a SELFIE!

This is just a picture of me relaxing and having a good smoke. I know I look really serious but trust me I am a really fun person.

What have I done you ask??

I studied psychoanalysis and created the study of feminist psychology. I disagree greatly with Sigmund Freud in his beliefs in the differences in men and women due to biology and focus on the differences based on culture and beliefs. 

As I gained a large interest in neurosis, a mental illness not caused by organic disease, I began studying it and eventually created a whole theory of neurosis. I believe neurosis is a continuous process, while many other psychologists believe neurosis to be caused by external stimuli. I believe these stimuli to be less important, and while childhood is a factor in the causes of neurosis, ultimately the parents have a large impact and can influence the person’s mental state. From my experience, I identified the ten neurotic needs of a person, the things all humans require to succeed in life. I modified these needs to correspond with my beliefs regarding the causes of neurosis. Theoretically, a neurotic person exhibits all of these needs.

Listen to me speak!

"The perfect normal person is rare in our civilization."

I once said this powerful quote, it has helped me through life and i hope it has done the same for many others. Everyone in our society has problems, some aren't afraid to get help. However, most of us are... thus believing that you aren't the only one with problems will help you get through tough times.

All you wanna know about me!

I was born as Karen Danielsen on 16 September 1885 in Blankenese, Germany. My father, Berndt Wackels Danielsen (1836–1910), was a ship's captain, a traditional devout with a patriarchal thinking.My mother, Clotilde, née van Ronzelen (1853–1911), known as "Sonni", was very different, being much more open-minded than my father. My elder brother was also named Berndt, and I cared for him deeply. I also had four elder half-siblings from my father's previous marriage. My father was "a cruel disciplinary figure," holding his son Berndt in higher regard than me. Instead of being offended or feeling indignation over my perceptions of him, he brought me gifts from far-away countries. From roughly the age of nine I changed my perspective on life, becoming ambitious and somewhat rebellious. I felt that I could not become pretty and instead decided to vest my energies into my intellectual qualities — despite the fact that I was seen by most as pretty. At this time I developed a crush on my older brother, who became embarrassed by my attentions — soon pushing me away. I suffered the first of several bouts of depression. I died of cancer on December 4th, 1952, in New York city.