Therapy and Treatment

1a. From a psychodynamic perspective, George could be depressed because he had neurotic parents who were inconsistent (both overindulgent and demanding), lacking in warmth, inconsiderate, angry, or driven by their own selfish needs creating an unpredictable, hostile world for him. As a result, he feels alone, confused, helpless and ultimately, angry. But he knows that his parents are his means of survival so he represses any anger he has towards them and ultimately this anger turns inwards and he becomes angry with himself.

2a. This might be treated by helping George to understand the incorrect foundations of his belief in his badness or unlovable personality so that the need to punish himself and to be perfect decreases.

1a. A humanistic therapist might believe that George’s depression is caused by his parents making their love for him conditional, rather than unconditional. They could be doing this by blaming him for doing poorly in school, thus making George develop a negative image of himself causing him to feel depressed because he failed to live up to his parents expectations standards. This might cause George to project himself as the kind of person he wants to be rather than who he actually is. However, this can cause his to develop depression because he is basically living a lie.

2b. Humanistic therapy might help George by encouraging him to be himself and to develop the freedom to pursue his deepest interests. It might also encourage him to overcome any road blocks in order to become free, these road blocks might be in the form of fear and “duty.” Humanistic therapy would focus on helping him connect with his buried desires and