Defense mechanisms or psychological defense are unconscious psychological responses that help minimize the impact of negative experiences on a person. Psychological defense is inherent in everyone to some extent. The difference is that some people can notice and process the defense mechanisms that have been triggered, making them helpful in their personal growth.
During a coaching session, it is crucial for the coach to understand the defense mechanisms guiding their client. Understanding these mechanisms and their root causes helps the coach better empathize with the client, and, as a result, work more effectively with them.
What's key here is that the coach works with their own personality, meaning that it’s essential first to understand oneself and one's reactions, to learn how to feel the depth of one’s emotions or actions, and to create favorable conditions for changes in their life.
One of the reasons people pursue coaching competencies is for personal growth.
As you've already gathered, today, we want to delve into the topic of psychological defense mechanisms. Let’s analyze which ones might be present in you.
Defense Mechanisms
In modern psychology, there are already about 50 types of psychological defense mechanisms. To not overwhelm our readers, we'll cover just a portion of the most common and well-studied ones.
Sublimation
This term was first introduced into psychoanalytical research by Sigmund Freud. He believed that people redirect unconscious energy into socially acceptable activities. The choice of activity for sublimation can indicate the maturity and character of the individual.
Sublimation can be of two types: primary and secondary.
Primary sublimation involves replacing an activity while maintaining the original goal. For example, a person seeks societal approval and achievements. They fail to achieve success in sports due to an injury, so they engage in charity work instead.
Secondary sublimation is characterized by a change in goal. Initially, a person strives for one goal, but as they change their activity, a new goal emerges. For example, an athlete who can no longer compete due to injury or age shifts their primary goal—from achieving personal success in sports to a new one. They begin coaching others and passing on their knowledge to younger athletes, satisfying their desire to remain involved in sports but with a new goal—helping others achieve success.
The two forms of sublimation often appear sequentially. If a person fails to adapt through primary sublimation, they move on to secondary sublimation. It’s important to note that sublimation occurs when the client is unaware of what’s happening. They do not realize that something else is driving their motives.
Denial
This defense mechanism is probably familiar to everyone. We've all had moments where we thought, "No, this can't be happening." This is how our psyche protects itself from negative experiences—it simply doesn't acknowledge them.
It’s worth noting that denial can have a positive impact on a person, especially in the short term. Think of movie scenes where a character learns they are terminally ill, denies it, and fully enjoys life.
However, in most cases, denial, if left unaddressed, negatively impacts the psyche. For instance, colleagues point out that a person repeatedly makes the same mistake. They refuse to acknowledge the error, deny it, and worsen the situation by not learning from their experience—remaining stuck.
Why is denial so common? It’s hard not to think of psychoanalysis, as this behavior returns us to the childlike stage. When a child is scared, they close their eyes: "If I don’t see it, it can’t hurt me." The same logic applies to the unconscious mind of an adult.
There are two types of denial. The first type, as we've described, affects only perception. Psychologists also note a second type, where distorted perception leads to self-deception. This is a more dangerous form of denial because it's harder to detect. Additionally, individuals often don't want to recognize it because they see it as a positive sign.
Repression
This defense mechanism is frequently mentioned but often confused with denial. Repression is a particularly insidious defense mechanism. Its main danger is that if what's being repressed and its source aren't identified, serious changes, consequences, and even pathological behavior can occur.
What distinguishes repression from denial? With denial, the negative experience or emotions never reach consciousness. The psyche builds a barrier (denial) that the negative experience doesn't pass through. Repression works differently. Negative experiences or trauma enter consciousness. The individual doesn't always forget the entire situation—they might remember parts of it. However, they certainly won't remember the cause or source. In some cases, the mind even replaces the cause.
Repression resembles manipulation of attention. It diverts focus either with new information or by forgetting. For repression to work, something doesn't have to be extremely negative or painful. Repression can function on an everyday level too. For example, a person may easily notice others' flaws, but their own are repressed through focusing on their strengths.
Displacement
Displacement, or shifting, is a defense mechanism commonly observed in daily life. A simple example is when adults "take out" their frustration on their children, children on younger siblings, and the youngest, in turn, break toys.
Displacement usually manifests in switching focus from one subject to another. We shift from an unpleasant situation that causes anxiety or negative emotions to another. Often, the new topic isn't related to the first one but can still carry a negative undertone. For example, after a parent scolds a child due to work-related problems, they may feel regret or bitterness.
According to psychoanalytic studies, displacement has a more positive form—sublimation, which can have a beneficial effect on a person.
Rationalization
Most terms in the study of psychological defense mechanisms were introduced by Freud, but rationalization was coined by Ernest Jones in 1908. Rationalization as a defense mechanism works as follows: the individual attempts to rationally justify desires, intentions, or actions that are actually motivated by a reason that might undermine their self-confidence.
For example, if someone elicits dislike in us, we focus on their worst traits and expect inappropriate behavior from them. In reality, these flaws may not be as prominent, and others may not even notice them.
In psychoanalytic research, two types of this defense mechanism are noted:
The psyche's defense works in such a way that our consciousness captures only the part of the information that doesn’t contradict our beliefs and the objective reality.
The defense mechanism influences the mind’s creation of logical reasoning to explain behavior, choices, or actions. In other words, the individual finds a logical justification that may not align with the truth.
Rationalization is one of the more harmless defense mechanisms. It often leads to self-deception, but it provides a sense of safety and comfort. Psychological defense helps maintain high self-esteem and prevents feelings of guilt.
Projection
Projection in psychoanalytic research is also known as transference or displacement. In psychoanalysis, the study of projection is often associated with children, though the adult psyche frequently uses this defense mechanism too.
How does projection work? We don’t always agree with our flaws or personality traits. Sometimes we reluctantly acknowledge them, or we outright deny them. The emotions or characteristics we refuse to accept in ourselves are unconsciously projected onto another person. Projection often occurs in an exaggerated form.
Projection is common because it simplifies our daily lives. There’s no need to evaluate every action or decision. If we feel calm and happy, others appear friendly to us. If we feel irritated or angry, we may perceive others as a threat. Sarcasm or irony is the flip side of projection as a defense mechanism.
Somatization
Think back to school. How often did you get sick before an important test or exam? This is the defense mechanism of somatization, where psychological stress manifests as physical symptoms. Some psychoanalytic studies interpret chronic symptoms similarly. For example, if a patient frequently has a sore throat, it might indicate they rarely allow themselves to express their own opinions.
The ability to notice and track one's own defense mechanisms helps develop the coach’s personality, and it subsequently aids the coach in creating an even more comfortable and supportive environment for their client during coaching sessions.
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