A Psychoanalyst's Evaluation of the sexual revolution

So many meanings have been attached to the words “psychoanalysis” and “revolution” that we must first define the terms. Karen Horney once said that a person perched on the shoulders of a giant can have a greater perspective than the giant himself. Although our theory of psychoanalysis is based on Freud's discoveries of dynamics, unconscious, transference, countertransfer-ence, resistance, free association, and dream interpretation, Horney went beyond Freud's instinctivistic libido theory and his notions of feminine psychology. Building on Freud's foundation, Horney placed greater emphasis on the constructive, humanistic potentialties and looked upon the multiplexities of varied forms of psychopathology as consequenses of obstruction ingrowth. She believed that the driving force in every individual was self-realization and that the neurotic self-idealization and self-despising that most of our patients suffer from are the results of the failure to realize one's potentialities. Her teachings focus on these universal conflicts that are common to both men and women.

Since Horney's time, many other approaches to psychoanalysis have emerged; although they have not been totally original contributions, they have placed greater emphasis on different aspects of the nature of psychoanalysis. Examples are Esalen experiment, gestalt therapy, trans-actional analysis, behavior therapy, scream therapy, eastern-oriental philosophies, est, and meditation philosophies. Some of these therapies are predominently faddish and gimmicky. It was obvious that some were practiced by the lunatic fringe, by the untrained, undisciplined, narcissistically hungry, power-desirous charlatans, con men, and medicine men as magical, instant, and effortless cures. But others raised serious questions and could not fit with any preconceived theories.

The recent avalanche of new and different approaches to emotional illness has stimulated a search for common denominators that are effective in psychotherapy. I