Freudian Theory (03:51)

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Hear an overview of Dr. Rollo May's education, training, and career in existentialist psychology. May discusses Freud's evolving views on anxiety. He believes it originates in our inability to orient ourselves to the world, based on parental rejection.

Early Childhood (02:16)

May discusses the effect of the first five years of life on later development. As an existential therapist, he takes client history into account when addressing current issues.

Self-Consciousness (02:55)

May discusses Freud's theory that we are born with an unconscious influencing our behavior. He believes the unconscious appears after the first month of life. He does not believe birth trauma impacts anxiety; we experience rebirths during development.

Repression (02:47)

May uses the example of a patient's fear of meeting new people to explain how he would analyze the source of anxiety. Repression occurs from necessity, rather than escapism; May helps patients understand present responsibility.

Psychology of Social Upheaval (04:48)

May discusses Harry Stack-Sullivan’s definition of psychiatry as the science of inter-personal relationships. Cultural changes and the collapse of modern civilization result in alienation causing problems.

Adlerian Psychology (03:08)

May values Alfred Adler's interest in society, the position of women, and human freedom. He finds Adler's therapeutic analogies superficial and questions his assertion that developing social interests will lead to health.

Goal-Directed Ideas (02:11)

May discusses Adler's emphasis of the future as it relates to existential therapy.

Karl Jung (03:19)

May shares Jung's belief that myths play an important role in culture, but sees his interest in alchemy as tangential. He says Jung was insufficiently existential as a psychotherapist.

Jungian Subjectivity (01:52)

May argues that Jung's spirituality and interest in the occult is a response to increasing objectivity in Western culture.

Credits: Rollo May's Discussion With Richard Evans: Reactions to Psychoanalytic Concepts (00:42)

Credits: Rollo May's Discussion With Richard Evans: Reactions to Psychoanalytic Concepts