The “golden rule of psychoanalysis” is to say whatever comes to mind, as it arises in your mind, without censorship. I find this to be a useful guideline for people to keep in mind. With a small amount of reflection, you’ll realize that following this simple rule with absolute fidelity is impossible. Our thoughts move quicker than our mouths, and many of our thoughts are censored without even knowing that they are being withheld from consciousness.
It can certainly be scary to know that many of the strategies we use to conceal ourselves do not work in the controlled environment of psychotherapy.
Impossible though it may be to absolutely follow this method of “free association,” Freud devised this strategy as a way of helping the elusive and mysterious contents of the unconscious to a realm in which the clinician can observe them. He observed how thoughts that poured out with minimal censorship provided content that revealed hidden secrets of the unconscious. However to Freud, what was more important than the content in free associations was the flow and connection between the thoughts that formed a single stream of consciousness.
Amazing though Freud’s discovery was, the fact is that the golden rule guideline is useful no matter how well you are able to follow it. The time is yours to say or not say whatever you want! Flouting the guideline will reveal aspects of your mind just the same as following it religiously. It can certainly be scary to know that many of the strategies we use to conceal ourselves do not work in the controlled environment of psychotherapy. However, the good news is that you needn’t feel pressure to use therapy “correctly.”
It’s your therapist’s job to make use of whatever you bring to your session, and a good one will learn plenty about you no matter how you approach the golden rule. As I tell my patients who struggle with speaking freely (and many do!): “No matter what you say, we will always get to the important issues.”
And even though it’s not your responsibility to guide the treatment, it can be helpful to know some of the ways that therapists learn about the inner workings of your mind. Free association is only one of five main ways therapists draw conclusions about your conflicts, motivations, feelings, and complexes. The main ways therapists learn about your unconscious mind are the following:
- Free Association (i.e., “the golden rule”
- Slips & Errors (i.e., so-called “Freudian slip”)
- Transference (& Countertransference)
- Hypnosis (later discovered to conceal the unconscious content after hypnosis has been used to bypass conscious defenses)
- Dreams (i.e., “the royal road to the unconscious”)
To learn more about the process of psychotherapy, you can contact Dr. Kinsey for a consultation session at low to no cost by reaching out via the form below.