Arrange in correct order the modality of treatment in the Psychodynamic therapy.
A. Eliciting the intrapsychic conflict.
B. Resistance
C. Transference and Interpretation
D. Insight, an outcome of working through
E. Confrontation and clarification
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → A, C, B, E, D
Psychodynamic treatment moves from bringing the hidden conflict to light, through the therapist’s work on it, to the client’s final understanding of it.
(A) Eliciting the intrapsychic conflict — first. Psychoanalysis uses free association and dream interpretation as the two methods for eliciting the intrapsychic conflicts: the client speaks whatever comes to mind, and dreams are analysed for unfulfilled desires.
(C) Transference and Interpretation — second. These are the means of treating the patient. As the unconscious forces come up, the client starts identifying the therapist with authority figures of the past, usually of childhood, and acts out old frustration, anger or fear towards the therapist.
(B) Resistance — third. The process of transference is met with resistance: since transference exposes unconscious wishes and raises distress, the client opposes the progress of therapy to protect herself/himself from painful memories, for example by keeping silent or missing appointments.
(E) Confrontation and clarification — fourth. These are the two analytical techniques of interpretation. In confrontation the therapist points out an aspect of the psyche that the client must face; in clarification a vague or confusing event is brought into sharp focus.
(D) Insight, an outcome of working through — last. The repeated use of confrontation, clarification and interpretation is called working through, and its outcome is insight, a gradual process in which the client comes to understand herself/himself at an intellectual and an emotional level.
Note: The later steps of psychodynamic treatment (transference and interpretation, resistance, confrontation and clarification, and working through leading to insight) were there in the pre-rationalised NCERT, which NTA followed in 2023, and are not there in the NCERT book (2025-26). The NCERT book (2025-26) describes only how free association and dreams elicit the conflict.
NCERT (2025-26): “Type of Therapies … Psychodynamic therapy uses the methods of free association and reporting of dreams to elicit the thoughts and feelings of the client. This material is interpreted to the client to help her/him to confront and resolve the conflicts and thus overcome problems.…” NCERT (Pre-rationalised): “Modality of Treatment … Transference and Interpretation are the means of treating the patient. As the unconscious forces are brought into the conscious realm through free association and dream interpretation described above, the client starts identifying the therapist with the authority figures of the past, usually childhood.…” “…The process of transference is met with resistance. Since the process of transference exposes the unconscious wishes and conflicts, thereby increasing the distress levels, the client resists transference. Due to resistance, the client opposes the progress of therapy in order to protect herself/himself from the recall of painful unconscious memories.…” “…Interpretation is the fundamental mechanism by which change is effected. Confrontation and clarification are the two analytical techniques of interpretation. In confrontation, the therapist points out to the client an aspect of her/his psyche that must be faced by the client. Clarification is the process by which the therapist brings a vague or confusing event into sharp focus. This is done by separating and highlighting important details about the event from unimportant ones.…” “…The repeated process of using confrontation, clarification, and interpretation is known as working through. Working through helps the patient to understand herself/himself and the source of the problem and to integrate the uncovered material into her/his ego. The outcome of working through is insight.…” |