ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the development of Freudian psychoanalysis from Freud’s pioneering studies of the unconscious through a “modern” era of ego psychology following Freud’s death (c. 1939-80) and culminating in contemporary developments (c. 1980-present). This historical overview examines areas of continuity, change, and diversity within the Freudian tradition. The chapter highlights basic tenets of Freudian theory, including unconscious fantasy, psychosexual development, memory and repetition, psychic conflict and compromise formation, internalized object relations, and intersubjectivity. These core concepts are shown to inform the clinical encounter, including the role of free association and evenly-hovering attention; interpretation of dreams; analysis of resistance, transference and countertransference; maintenance of an analytic frame; and the analyst’s technical tools, all of which contribute to the therapeutic action of psychoanalysis. An overarching premise of the chapter is that Freudian psychoanalysis is best characterized by the diversity of viewpoints and positions it now encompasses, rather than as one pole in a dichotomized view of psychoanalytic theories. An historical and ongoing limitation of the Freudian approach is its difficulty incorporating culture into its understanding of psychic life.
