Watch the following video of a Psychodynamic therapy session:
https://video-alexanderstreet-com.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/watch/psychodynamic-therapy/clips?context=channel:counseling-and-therapy-in-videoLinks to an external site. (59 minutes)
Then, write a Discussion post in which you address the following:
Describe 1 example from the session of each of the following psychodynamic concepts (you may do a bullet point list):
Transference
Confrontation
Interpretation
What do you think went well in this session? What might you have approached differently? Provide 1 example of each (2 sentences)
How do you think issues of positionality impacted this session? Use at least 1 of this week’s readings to describe your thoughts on the session and power and positionality. (2-3 sentences)
What questions do you have after watching this video? Was there anything you didn’t understand, or an aspect of the session you had difficulty with? (1-2 questions)
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Discussion Post: Psychodynamic Concepts in Therapy Session
In the video of the psychodynamic therapy session, several key psychodynamic concepts were evident. Here is an example of each concept observed during the session:
Transference:
The client expressed intense anger towards the therapist when discussing his relationship with his father. This anger seemed to be disproportionate to the current situation and reflected unresolved feelings from past experiences.
Confrontation:
The therapist confronted the client about his tendency to avoid discussing certain topics or diverting attention away from them. The therapist gently but directly pointed out this pattern and encouraged the client to explore the underlying reasons for his avoidance.
Interpretation:
The therapist offered an interpretation of the client’s dreams, connecting them to the client’s unconscious desires and conflicts. The therapist explored potential meanings behind the symbols in the dreams, helping the client gain insight into their deeper emotional significance.
What went well in this session was the therapist’s ability to create a safe and non-judgmental space for the client to explore his emotions. The therapist demonstrated empathy and active listening skills, which allowed the client to open up and share vulnerable experiences. One aspect that could have been approached differently is the pacing of the session. It seemed that at times, the therapist rushed through topics, which might have hindered a deeper exploration of certain issues.
Issues of positionality likely impacted this session, as the power dynamics between the therapist and client were present. The therapist held a position of authority and expertise, influencing the dynamics of the therapeutic relationship. This power imbalance could have implications for how the client expressed himself and how certain topics were discussed. As highlighted in Rodriguez et al.’s (2018) article on power and positionality in therapy, it is essential for therapists to be aware of their own biases and privileges to ensure a more equitable therapeutic process.
Questions after watching the video:
How did the therapist navigate the power dynamics in the session? Were there instances where the power imbalance affected the client’s expression or participation?
How did the therapist handle cultural or social differences between themselves and the client, considering the influence of positionality on therapy outcomes?
