ABSTRACT
No text on the application of psychological theory would be complete without a chapter on psychoanalysis. It is the oldest of the psychotherapies, and there are several modern variations, including object relations theory and self-psychology. Virtually all psychotherapists trained in the 20th century have been exposed to psychodynamic ideas, and for many it was the foundation of their training. This can be an asset and a liability, and this chapter discusses both aspects. Although many variations of Freud’s thinking can be extremely useful to the executive coach, the psychoanalytic psychotherapist is the butt of Woody Allen jokes and the source of stereotypes that can seriously damage a coach’s attractiveness and credibility. Indeed, some coaches go out of their way to distance themselves from Freud and from psychotherapy, especially when it is stereotyped as endless probing in search of childhood memories. Some psychotherapists actually have more to unlearn than to learn when it comes to the application of psychodynamic principles to executive coaching. Prior to about 1990, even clinical training that was not explicitly analytic contained artifacts of psychoanalysis. The 50-minute hour, the transparent therapist, strict adherence to boundaries, and the therapist’s inclination to interpret everything are examples of methods likely to be more useful for the couch than the coach. One classic and unexamined example is the assumption that “depth” equals “strength” (Harrison, 1970/1994). Many clinicians operate on the unchallenged assumption that deeper interventions or interpretations are, de facto, better. This assumption can ruin a coaching relationship, where analysis is often less trusted than action. Deep interpretations may actually be too threatening for the coaching relationship.
