In his early work, Freud focused on catharsis and attempted to my pass the ego and it's defenses by using hypnosis. However, over time, he noticed the return of the repressed and came to the conclusion that the ego must be strengthened in order to tolerate and integrate previously unconscious feelings, impulses and wishes. This is no easy task. Patients often repeat, instead of remembering, especially via enactments in the transference. It is essential to understand this phenomenon in order to use it therapeutically.
