The theory that our learning team is studying is the psychodynamic approach or what is sometimes called the psychoanalytic approach. The main contributors to psychodynamic approaches were the founder Sigmund Freud (1859-1939), Anna Freud (1895-1982) made significant contributions to the psychodynamics of adolescence and Erik Erickson (1902-1994) defined the “new” Freud but with a emphasis on ego (conscious) forces, defined as psychosocial theory (Craig & Dunn, p 11-13). Psychodynamics is the explanation or interpretation (of behavior or mental states) in terms of mental or emotional forces or processes (www.merriam-webster.com) Through case studies, the psychodynamic approach was developed by Sigmund Freud. Freud visited Charcot, a laboratory in Paris that investigated people suffering from hysteria. There, Freud began case studies of patients (Crain, p. 254). Freud developed 5 stages of human development known as the oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital stages. The oral phase lasts from birth to 18 months. This stage engages in oral activities such as sucking. Subsequently the anal phase begins around 18 months up to 3 years. Freud suggests that during the anal phase the child focuses on the pleasure of purging himself from the rectal area. Phallic stages, none like the masturbation stage, in which a child experiences pleasure by focusing on his genital areas, usually occur between 3 and 6 years of age. After the phallic stage, the latency stages follow. Latency occurs when children ages 6 to 12 work to develop cognitive and interpersonal skills by suppressing sexual interests, but those ages 12 and older fall into the genital stage. During the genital phase those repressed sexual interests return and the need to find gratification depends on the search for a partner (Craig & Dunn, p 12). In addition to Freud's developmental stages, his best-known concepts are those of id, ego, and superego (Crain, p. 268). The id personality called “unconscious” is the personality that focuses on maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain through reflexes and drives such as hunger or bladder tension (Crain, pp. 268-269). The concept of the id is impulsive, chaotic and unrealistic. Although the id stage represents “wild passions,” it is balanced by “reason and common sense” called ego (Crain, p. 270). The ego evaluates situations by comparing them to what happened in the past and makes realistic changes by planning for the future. This is what is called “secondary process thinking”. The ego considers the possibilities of the act in question giving the opportunity to make safe and valid choices.