Relatively little has been written on the role of trauma in conceptions of the unconscious. This paper explores Freud's conceptions of the unconscious, comparing his ideas with the original French notion of “double conscience” and exploring their implications for technique. Whereas Freud's concept of the unconscious mainly depends upon a theory of internal drives, Ferenczi's ascribed a central role to trauma, shifting the focus to the individual in the context of relationships. The comparison is illustrated with a case history.