Psychoanalysis was started by –
**Core Concept**
Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory and clinical method for treating mental illness, which emphasizes the role of unconscious thoughts and feelings in shaping behavior. Developed by Sigmund Freud, it is based on the idea that the unconscious mind plays a crucial role in the development and maintenance of psychological disorders.
**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis, developed the theory and clinical technique of psychoanalysis in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He believed that the unconscious mind contains repressed thoughts, desires, and memories that are inaccessible to conscious awareness but exert a significant influence on behavior. Through techniques such as free association, dream analysis, and transference, Freud aimed to help patients become aware of and resolve unconscious conflicts that underlie their symptoms.
**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
**Option A:** This option is incorrect because the development of psychoanalysis is not attributed to Wilhelm Reich, a psychoanalyst and sexologist who later developed his own theories and techniques, known as orgone therapy.
**Option B:** This option is incorrect because Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, was a contemporary and colleague of Freud's, but he developed his own distinct theories and approaches, known as analytical psychology.
**Option C:** This option is incorrect because Alfred Adler, an Austrian psychiatrist and psychotherapist, also developed his own theories and techniques, known as individual psychology, which emphasized the role of social interest and striving for superiority.
**Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
One key aspect of psychoanalytic theory is the concept of the "id, ego, and superego," which refers to the three distinct parts of the human psyche. The id represents instinctual, primitive desires, while the ego mediates between the id and reality, and the superego represents moral principles and values.
**Correct Answer: C. Alfred Adler was an Austrian psychiatrist and psychotherapist but developed his own set of theories and techniques, not the founder of psychoanalysis. Sigmund Freud is the correct answer.