Student Web Activites

Chapter 17: Therapy and Change

"The Talking Cure"

Introduction
Take a moment to get comfortable. Relax. Breathe deeply. Now focus on the next thought that pops into your head after you stop reading these words. O.K., so you're reading again, but if you were in psychoanalysis, your psychoanalyst would probably tell you to start talking about your roaming thoughts. Psychoanalysis is called the talking cure because its technique allows people to express their feelings while the psychoanalyst listens. Based on the personality theory of Sigmund Freud, psychoanalysis is used to treat a variety of problems. Visit these Web sites to read about psychoanalysis.

Web sites
The American Psychoanalytic Association
What is psychoanalysis? Browse this APSAA Web site to find out more.

NYU Medical Center
Discover more information on what psychoanalysis is, how it is used, and who it benefits at this NYU Psychoanalytic Institute Web site.

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Activity
On a separate sheet of paper, make a chart evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of using psychoanalysis to treat each of the following: depression, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.