Final answer:
Sigmund Freud's method of exploring the unconscious mind and treating mental disorders is called psychoanalysis, developed through case studies and his famous talking cure.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sigmund Freud's Theory and Therapy:
Sigmund Freud's theory of personality and system of therapy for treating mental disorders is known as psychoanalysis. This approach, detailed in his 1922 publication A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis, focuses on the influences of the unconscious mind, childhood sexuality, and the dynamic interplay between the id, ego, and superego. Freud's methodology for uncovering the unconscious included dream analysis, slips of the tongue, and free association—techniques fundamental to psychoanalytic theory.
Freud conducted his research through in-depth case studies, often with a small number of clients, and proposed that personality develops through a series of psychosexual stages. Each stage is associated with an erogenous zone and conflicts that must be resolved for healthy personality development. The neo-Freudians expanded on Freud's ideas, often placing more emphasis on social influences and reducing the focus on sexuality.