A study on the impact of ego defense mechanisms on free association and corresponding intervention strategies

In psychoanalytic therapy, ego defense mechanisms often obstruct free association, thereby impeding the emergence of unconscious material. Grounded in Freudian theory and contemporary empirical research, this paper defines defense mechanisms as adaptive unconscious strategies and free association as an expressive technique facilitating access to the unconscious. Through a case study of an anxious patient, the analysis demonstrates how denial, projection, and regression lead to interruptions and fragmentation in associative processes. Intervention strategies—including awareness-naming, transference interpretation, and adaptive invitation—are shown to promote the transformation of defenses toward sublimation, thereby restoring depth to associative exploration.