Depression: Comparison of psychoanalysis and analytical psychology

Abstract

Psychoanalysis and analytical psychology are two large schools of psychotherapy, simultaneously similar and different. Few papers in literature explore these two approaches comparatively. This paper presents an effort to fill in that gap by exploring the relation of these two schools towards depression. In both cases we will consider: theoretical approach to depression, suicide, recommendations for practice, and effectiveness research. The crucial difference is in the overarching attitude towards depression: psychoanalysis looks upon depression mainly as pathological, while analytical psychology considers depression as a healthy movement of the organism, with a salutary purpose. The first school is focused on events from the past, and the other is focused on unfulfilled potentials. Psychoanalysis pays attention to early development, and analytical psychology to collective figures of the psyche. Both schools use rapport, transference, countertransference, analysis, verbalization, interpretation. Analytical psychologists lean towards countertransference, unconscious contents, and non-verbal more. Both schools give an important contribution to treatment of depression with their highly personalized approach and open up treatment possibilities in cases where medication is non-applicable. In conclusion, psychoanalysis and analytical psychology have separate and different approaches to depression and suicide, both on central and peripheral themes. Still, there is a possibility of exchange of experiences between these schools, which would be beneficial to development of practice and health of clients. Some examples of such exchange are found, and further exchange between schools of depth psychotherapy is encouraged.