Defense mechanisms

Defense mechanisms are the often unconscious strategies the mind uses to protect itself from emotions and thoughts it finds unbearable. Sigmund Freud began the concept, and his daughter Anna Freud compiled it systematically in her book The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defence. They are not bad from the outset; in the short term they protect a person from an anxiety that cannot be carried. But when used constantly and rigidly, they weaken contact with reality and hinder development. In coaching these are not a diagnostic tool but a lens that helps the client notice a recurring pattern of avoidance.