Freud Quote by Stephen A. Mitchell
““Freud believed that because the core of psychopathology was the repression of conflictual, infantile impulses, which sought disguised gratification from the analyst in many different forms, it was essential for the analyst not to give the patient any gratification, because gratification allows the impulse to be discharged rather than be remembered, thought about, and renounced. American””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Language of Psychoanalysis by Stephen A. Mitchell, 1993
Freud argued that analysts must avoid giving patients gratification, so repressed impulses stay remembered and examined rather than instantly satisfied.
In simple terms: Analysts should not satisfy patients to keep impulses in mind.
Key Takeaway
Resist immediate gratification in therapy.
Themes
psychoanalysis
repression
therapy
memory
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
clinical
educational
When to use this quote
- clinical sessions
- training
- supervision
- case formulation
Key Concepts
Freudian theory
clinical technique
psychic conflict
Questions to Reflect On
- How can therapists balance empathy with non‑gratification?
- What alternative methods can replace direct gratification?
A Different Perspective
Patients may feel frustrated without gratification, risking alliance strain.
![“By what psychoanalyst friends tell me, in the field of the emotional subconscious, the emotional resistances to be overcome are no longer the ones most people felt in Freud's [..] day. The moralizing respectability and the fear of sex evidenced in Freud's day no longer exist. I am told that…” quote by Massimo Piattelli-Palmarini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3bc/massimo-piattelli-palmarini-26_freud_by-what-psychoanalyst-friends-tell-me-in_70209.jpg)
