Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis has generally been superseded by other forms of psychological thought and methods of helping people with psychological problems, but still has authority in certain areas and is regarded as one of the most influential forms of psychology. Despite being arguably outdated, psychoanalysis has had an impact on many areas within psychology, and continues to influence thought today.

One of the main reasons why psychoanalysis has become outdated is because newer theories have taken the original ideas behind it and built upon them. Many of Freud’s ideas were very specific and sometimes had limited application, but by taking those ideas and expanding upon them it meant that they had greater scope, and could be more useful from a therapy-driven perspective. His ideas were certainly pioneering, and forever changed the way people not only thought about psychology but also their own minds.

The most important of Freud’s theories is arguably his ideas on the subconscious. The mind had never been considered in this way before, and has since been part of almost every type of psychiatry. It is also a theory that ‘makes sense’, in the way that its effects can be seen and understood by anyone, and can be explained in simple terms without unnecessary jargon. It is basically the idea that our mind is in two parts, the conscious and subconscious, both relating to different aspects of thought. The accessibility of the theory has helped to keep it alive all this time, and in this way makes it useful to everyone.