4 answers
4 answers
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David’s Answer
If you haven't had the opportunity yet, I would recommend you take a course such as "History and Systems of Psychology," usually offered (or required) if you're working on a BA in psychology. If you're not a psychology major it could be a good course for you as an elective. As someone else said, psychology is a very broad field that has many specializations, each with major figures and complete literatures. Once you find an area of psychology that particularly interests you, then you can delve more deeply into that subject's main figures and their research and findings.
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Erica’s Answer
Sighing Freud on early childhood development and aging process literally spot on
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Caleb’s Answer
There's a wide range of top-notch psychologist out there so for me personally, I like Carl Jung, Erikson, and William James with the Jung and the latter being my favorites. Jung's way of diving in archetypes and coming up with the collective unconscious was great for inspiring philosophical debates even to this day (and in videogames), and William James will forever be underrated. It could be that his brother was sharp in his writing and philosophical profession, but off the top, I believe he was the one to question the order of operations our bodies and minds go through involving emotions like fear.
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Priya’s Answer
Hi Kadija,
To add from psychologists, psychiatrists, and counselors, there are many great theorists and collective books. Freud would be the classic, as a psychoanalyst. I know from other theories that Carl Rogers has On Becoming a Person and the Carl Rogers Reader regarding Person-Centered Theory(I have read selections from both but have not gotten to read them as a whole yet!); Yalom writes on his position as an existential therapist (though he did not create the theory); and I have heard Albert Ellis wrote prolifically regarding his Rational Emotive Behavior Theory. Honestly there are many theories in the helping professions, so it depends on what direction you want to look: psychoanalytical, humanistic, cognitive? Even just researching regarding these schools of thought could be good information! Good luck!
To add from psychologists, psychiatrists, and counselors, there are many great theorists and collective books. Freud would be the classic, as a psychoanalyst. I know from other theories that Carl Rogers has On Becoming a Person and the Carl Rogers Reader regarding Person-Centered Theory(I have read selections from both but have not gotten to read them as a whole yet!); Yalom writes on his position as an existential therapist (though he did not create the theory); and I have heard Albert Ellis wrote prolifically regarding his Rational Emotive Behavior Theory. Honestly there are many theories in the helping professions, so it depends on what direction you want to look: psychoanalytical, humanistic, cognitive? Even just researching regarding these schools of thought could be good information! Good luck!