¶ Exploring Defense Mechanisms
Welcome to our Licensure Exam Podcast . I'm Dr Linton Hutchinson and my colleague Stacey Frost is joining me today .
In today's episode on our Exploring Defense Mechanisms series , we'll discuss the similarities and differences between repression and suppression , two important defense mechanisms that therapists often encounter in their practice and might even show up on your exam .
Therapists often encounter in their practice and might even show up on your exam . That's right , linton . Hi everyone , I'm Stacey and I'm excited to dive into this fascinating topic with y'all . Ah , I see you haven't lost all of your Southern heritage , even though you're living up there in the frozen tundra of Michigan .
y'all Just give me some time , linton and I'll be pronouncing roof like rough and pop instead of soda , like a true Michigander . Well , before you start calling pecans pecans , let's start defining some terms for our therapist here . Okay , let's start with repression .
This is the unconscious defense mechanism where the client involuntarily pushes disturbing thoughts , memories or feelings out of their conscious awareness . The key here is that it's unconscious and the client isn't aware that they have anything or that they're doing it themselves .
And , on the other hand , suppression is actually a conscious process where the client deliberately pushes away an unwanted thought or feeling . They're aware of their thoughts or emotions , but they choose not to focus on them .
Okay Now . The main premise behind both repression and suppression is that they serve as a way for the mind to cope with all those uncomfortable or disturbing information or thoughts that you have . However , the process differ .
With repression , the process is automatic and , as Lenten said , unconscious .
The mind essentially buries the unwanted thoughts or memories deep into the unconscious , making them inaccessible to the client's awareness , and this can lead to the development of various psychological symptoms , as the repressed content still to the client's awareness , and this can lead to the development of various psychological symptoms , as the repressed content still affects
the client's behavior and their emotional well-being .
And what have you repressed lately , Stacey ?
Oh , Linton , we're going off script here .
Well , I guess if you repress it you wouldn't remember at the beginning . I guess , if you repress it .
You wouldn't remember at the beginning Exactly yeah , so I don't know . It's somewhere deep in my subconscious somewhere what I've been repressing .
Okay . Well , suppression , being a conscious process , involves actively pushing away the unwanted thoughts or emotions . The client is aware of those thoughts , but chooses to ignore or avoid them . While this can provide temporary relief , it can also lead to increased stress and anxiety if the suppressed content is not addressed .
Now , Linton , what have you been suppressing lately ?
I knew you were going to ask me that . Oh my gosh , I'm suppressed lately . Sometimes I suppress the fact that I ate too much ice cream .
Yeah , I was going to say too much sushi , but you know you , I guess there's no such thing as too much sushi .
There's not too much , for sure , all right .
So one of the basic assumptions behind repression is that the mind has an innate mechanism to protect itself from overwhelming or traumatic experiences , and by pushing these experiences out of our conscious awareness , the mind attempts to maintain psychological equilibrium where everything is a-okay , everything's in balance .
With suppression . The assumption is that clients have the ability to consciously control their thoughts and emotions . The client assumes that they can manage their psychological well-being by actively avoiding or ignoring certain thoughts .
Now let's look at how a therapist might work with a client who's exhibiting suppression . Imagine for a moment a client named Tracy who recently lost her job due to company downsizing , and Tracy comes to therapy expressing feelings of sadness and anxiety , but she insists that she's fine and actually doesn't want to talk about her job loss .
In this case , you might gently explore Tracy's reluctance to discuss her job loss , acknowledging that it's natural to want to push distressing emotions away and reassure her that it's okay to feel upset about what happened .
That way , you know , she feels that you're being really supportive , so you really are creating a supportive environment that can help her feel more comfortable exploring and processing her suppressed emotions .
And you might also use cognitive behavioral techniques your favorite , linton to help Tracy identify and challenge any negative thoughts or beliefs that are related to her job loss , like maybe you hear Tracy say something like I'm a failure because I lost my job . That's just , that's what's going on here Now .
Using CBT , you can help her to question the accuracy and helpfulness of this belief .
Other interventions that can be helpful to use when the client is suppressing their emotions include psychoeducation , which involves educating the client , in this case , about defense mechanisms , and this would involve helping the client understand what suppression is and how it might be affecting them .
Then we have emotion focused therapy , which aims to help clients become more aware of and express their emotions .
As the therapist , you encourage your client to identify , accept and make sense of their feelings , rather than just suppressing them under the bed like you do with all your stuff , linton , right , you just sort of toss it under there and close the door .
And why is it important to do that with the client ?
Well , otherwise there are just going to be a lot of unresolved emotions in there that are going to be manifesting somehow .
Exactly , Exactly .
Then we have mindfulness based techniques , which help clients become more present and accepting of their emotions , and this can be accomplished by teaching the client mindfulness exercises like deep breathing or meditation to help them manage their emotions more effectively .
Another option is journaling , where you encourage the client to write about their feelings and experiences . Or , you know , I think , instead of journaling sometimes , Linton , maybe people who don't like to write could be like they're drawing pictures . You know some artistic journaling .
Okay .
Yeah , which can be a helpful way for them to process emotions they might be suppressing , and gradual exposure , where you gradually expose the client to the emotions they're suppressing in a safe and controlled environment , and this can help the client learn to tolerate and cope with these emotions over time .
Well , thanks , Stacey , and of those techniques which are the ones that you prefer .
I like the journaling one . The journaling , particularly in our artistic kind of a sense of you know , just if you're feeling angry and upset , you know , maybe you grab some colored pencils , all the red ones , and you just scribble really hard in your journal . How about you ?
I think I like the gradual exposure , but I like to do it instead of gradually . I like to do it , you know , like all at once , kind of flooding them flooding . Yeah , exactly Now . Let's consider how a therapist would approach the same case If Tracy were exhibiting signs of repression instead of suppression and this scenario ?
Tracy might not only avoid talking about her job loss , but also exhibit symptoms such as insomnia , changes in appetite or unexplained physical pain . Remember , repression involves pushing distressing thoughts and emotions out of conscious awareness , but those emotions still find their way to manifest , often through physical symptoms or changes in behaviors .
Yeah , like teeth grinding . That's another one . I've heard of that Especially when you go to sleep . I do that .
Yeah .
So again , as a therapist , you need to be patient and create a strong therapeutic alliance with Tracy , as repressed content can be a little bit more challenging to access Now .
Psychodynamic therapy , which focuses on exploring the client's unconscious thoughts , feelings and conflicts and gradually bringing repressed thoughts and emotions into conscious awareness , might be helpful in Tracy's case .
Uh-huh , but you have to be a millionaire to go through that kind of a situation .
Oh yeah , that is not a short-term therapy .
No , no , kidding , Okay , but some specific techniques you can employ to make unconscious material conscious are free association so with this technique , you encourage the client to speak freely about whatever comes to mind without censoring their thoughts . Using free association can help uncover repressed memories and emotions .
Or , my favorite , dream analysis , where you analyze the client's dreams and can provide insights into their unconscious mind and repressed content . Analysis of transference this is where you explore the client's emotional reactions and behaviors toward you , the therapist , as these may reflect the client's repressed experiences and relationships .
For example , tracy , I've noticed that you seem quite anxious before our sessions and doing podcasts and sometimes express frustrations towards me . Have you noticed that as well in the podcast ?
Very good one , yeah . And you know , I think sometimes that transference is sort of scary to therapists , especially those who are just starting out . But you can use it as a tool and it does require you to really kind of remove yourself from the situation and the emotional , you know , kind of reactivity and stuff going on .
So if you can kind of maintain your cool and look at it a little bit more clinically , then that can be a useful tool to access that unconscious material .
Absolutely .
All right . What are your thoughts about hypnosis Linton ?
Well , there are some concerns about using hypnosis with clients exhibiting repression , for three reasons . One , false memories I'm sure you've all heard about that which can be distressing for the client and may not accurately reflect their experiences .
Or two , retraumatization , which is assessing repressed material through hypnosis , can be emotionally overwhelming for the client and could possibly retraumatize them . And three , the lack of empirical support .
While some studies suggest that hypnosis can be effective in treating repression , the overall body of research is mixed at this point and more evidence is needed to establish its efficacy and safety .
Okay , so those are definitely valid concerns .
¶ Understanding Repression vs Suppression
Now , as we wrap up today's podcast , let's review some of the key takeaways about repression and suppression .
First , both serve to protect the mind from disturbing or overwhelming content , but they operate in different ways . Repression is an unconscious defense mechanisms Clients aren't aware of what they're doing While suppression is a conscious process . Clients are aware of what they're doing .
While suppression is a conscious process , clients are aware of their disturbing thoughts and emotions , but they choose not to focus on them .
And we also talked about various interventions for working with clients who are exhibiting these defense mechanisms .
Yep , and we touched on hypnosis , noting concerns about its use with repression .
And that's all for today's episode of Exploring Defense Mechanisms . Thanks for joining us .
Remember , as therapists , our goal is to help our clients develop healthier , more adaptive ways of coping with life's challenges . But understanding and addressing defense mechanisms like repression and suppression , we can support our clients on their journey towards greater self-awareness and emotional wellbeing .
All right , take care everyone and remember it's in there .
It's in there .
Hey Linton .
Yeah , what .
Well , I noticed you were a bit quieter than usual during our podcast today . Everything okay .
Yeah , of course I'm fine , Stacey , I'm just a bit tired , that's all you know .
Well , normally I'd let this go , but are you sure you seem a little bit distracted , maybe , from dealing with traveling up north for a funeral , the Tesla that smashed through your dining room and trying to catch up on everything .
Oh man , I'm still trying to deal with that with State Farm . But yeah , it's been tough and I really don't want to talk about it right now .
So , all of you therapists out there , what do you think ? Is Linton exhibiting suppression or repression here ? To me , it seems like Linton is consciously choosing not to discuss his problems , just saying that he's tired , even though I can see that it's clearly affecting him . This is an example of suppression .
He's aware of his emotions , but he's actively pushing them away to focus on the task at hand . So remember , when you're taking your exam , it's in there .
It's in there , you trickster , good one .
Yeah , that one was fun .