What is Free Association in Psychotherapy?
By Dr. Patrick Connolly
Free association is a method for a client to explore their own conscious experience. Sigmund Freud created it, together with his mentor Josef Breuer. The instruction given to a client is to say whatever comes into their mind, even if it seems irrelevant to what the client is saying at the moment, even if it seems embarrassing or unworthy to them.
This activity is coupled with the client having the intention to observe what happens in themselves in the here and now. A therapist might say to a client at the outset of therapy: “Try to develop a part of your self that observes what is happening in your mind, not to try to control or evaluate what is happening in your mind, but simply to observe.” Developing this self-observation is something we can do throughout our whole life. Some people appreciate this kind of more self-aware life.
Self-observation is critical to free association in therapy. An example can show how.
A client comes into therapy speaking about a movie they watched a few nights ago, because it is the first thing that comes to mind as they sit down. In their mind, their purpose is to share about it because the movie was stimulating to them, and perhaps they hope to explore the reason why. While sharing about it, they mention a scene from the movie where the character looks at a photograph of his ex-girlfriend with some mixed feeling of sadness and regret. The therapist has the idea that this moment of the movie seemed symbolically important to the client, and so says to the client something like: “This moment in the movie seemed significant to you”. Then the client (being well-practiced at this), turns their attention towards their own mind, to see what will emerge next … what comes up is a recent memory. The client says: “You know, a few days ago a friend of mine asked to see a photograph of my ex-girlfriend, and was surprised when I said I didn’t have one”. At this moment, the client has an insight into why the movie moved them the way that it did, and why it came to their mind in therapy. Perhaps they will fall silent, pondering what this might mean, that they never kept any photograph of their previous partner.
The above scenario is just the start of the analysis, and we imagine that the therapy would continue as the client continues to share what comes into their mind as they progress. The association that emerged from what was originally in their mind (the movie), to the memory about the conversation with their friend, reflects the influence of what Freud called the unconscious. By learning to observe what ‘pops’ into our mind, we become better at seeing these associations, and discovering what is unconscious in us.
In this way, the technique of free association makes use of non-directiveness (see a short article about non-directiveness in therapy here), which is that the therapist lets the client lead the session. Only by the client sharing their train of thought as they experience it, can the client and therapist together discover what lies beneath those thoughts.
When practiced properly, free association can be strange or even anxiety-provoking for new clients, since it is different from ordinary social conversation. The good news is that as therapy progresses, clients often become more comfortable sharing their thoughts in this way, and increasingly begin to observe their own associations, and become their own analyst in time.
Sometimes clients prefer a ‘lighter’ version of this activity, where they share more as a normal social conversation, while also directing their attention to what is happening in them as they speak, to see those moments where something ‘pops’ into their mind. Much like choosing an easier exercise regimen, this approach may yield results too, but perhaps less dramatically than the more intense introspection of traditional free association.
However one approaches it, this kind of self-exploration works better when the client relaxes control over their thoughts to some extent. Similar to the experience of mind-wandering, when we are able to able to let our experience drift where it may, this enhances the likelihood of our associations emerging in our conscious experience. In contrast, when our mind is fixated on something, such as a crisis, or severe worries in our life, it is more difficult for our minds to wander freely in this way, and therapists may offer a different sort of support at such times.
Neuroscience research has proposed a link between a brain activity network (called the ‘Default Mode Network’ or DMN) and this kind of mind-wandering. Interestingly, our brain activity is more unique when in such a state, compared to when we are busy with particular activities or challenges, during which our brain activity is more similar to one another. It is when can allow ourselves to step back from our daily challenges, and allow ourselves freer experience, that the deeper structure of ourselves emerges.
Dr Connolly makes use of free association in psychoanalytically-oriented psychotherapy. If you are interested in psychotherapy with Dr Connolly, you are invited to send an enquiry here.
Note: this information provided is for general information and education only. Reading the blog does not create a therapist-patient relationship. This content is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Readers are advised to call emergency services if they are in crisis. Any actions taken based on the content are at the reader’s own risk