Resistance (psychoanalysis)

Resistance, in psychoanalysis, refers to the client's defence mechanisms that emerge from unconscious content coming to fruition through process.^[1] Resistance is the repression of unconscious drives from integration into conscious awareness.^[2]

Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalytic theory, developed his concept of resistance as he worked with patients who suddenly developed uncooperative behaviors during sessions of talk therapy. He reasoned that an individual that is suffering from a psychological affliction, which Freud believed to be derived from the presence of suppressed illicit or unwanted thoughts, may inadvertently attempt to impede any attempt to confront a subconsciously perceived threat. This would be for the purpose of inhibiting the revelation of any repressed information from within the unconscious mind.^[3]

^ Karen, Horney (1939). New Ways in Psychoanalysis. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-393-31230-0. [U]nconscious motivations remain unconscious because we are interested in not becoming aware of them. [...] It implies that if an attempt is made to unearth unconscious motivations we will have to put up a struggle because some interest of ours is at stake. This, in succinct terms, is the concept of 'resistance', which is of paramount value to therapy.
^ Karen, Horney (1939). New Ways in Psychoanalysis. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 34. ISBN 978-0-393-31230-0. By resistance is meant the energy with which an individual protects repressed feelings or thoughts against their integration into conscious awareness. [... in order] not to become aware of certain drives.
^ Larsen, Randy; Buss, David (2008). Personality Psychology: Domains of Knowledge About Human Nature. McGraw-Hill Education. pp. 696. ISBN 978-0-07-110168-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[1] Karen, Horney (1939). New Ways in Psychoanalysis. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-393-31230-0. [U]nconscious motivations remain unconscious because we are interested in not becoming aware of them. [...] It implies that if an attempt is made to unearth unconscious motivations we will have to put up a struggle because some interest of ours is at stake. This, in succinct terms, is the concept of 'resistance', which is of paramount value to therapy.

[2] Karen, Horney (1939). New Ways in Psychoanalysis. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 34. ISBN 978-0-393-31230-0. By resistance is meant the energy with which an individual protects repressed feelings or thoughts against their integration into conscious awareness. [... in order] not to become aware of certain drives.

[3] Larsen, Randy; Buss, David (2008). Personality Psychology: Domains of Knowledge About Human Nature. McGraw-Hill Education. pp. 696. ISBN 978-0-07-110168-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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