Despite many controversies, there seems to be one unifying psychoanalytic principle across all psychoanalytic approaches: that we have an unconscious mind (containing contents and processes) that has a very powerful impact on normal and pathological human behavior. Hence, from a psychoanalytic frame of reference, problems are often caused by thoughts, feelings, and memories that are out of awareness (i.e., pre-conscious or unconscious) and helping people become aware of them is an integral part of treatment (Cabaniss, 2011;Mitchell & Black, 1995). …… We stress that affects (feelings and emotions) are primary-they provide life with vitality, color to human experience, and they are signals that help us determine what is good or bad for us; they also promote adaptation (Cabaniss, 2011). The therapist therefore carefully listens to a client’s surface and underlying emotional states and the emotional quality of his or her relationships. …
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