Neo-Freudian psychologists were thinkers who agreed with many of the fundamental tenets of Freud's psychoanalytic theory but changed and adapted the approach to incorporate their own beliefs, ideas, and opinions. 

There are a few different reasons why these neo-Freudian thinkers disagreed with Freud. For example, Erik Erikson believed that Freud was incorrect to think that personality was shaped almost entirely by childhood events. Other issues that motivated neo-Freudian thinkers included:

• Freud's emphasis on sexual urges as a primary motivator.

• Freud's negative view of human nature.

• Freud's belief that personality was shaped entirely by early childhood experiences.

• Freud's lack of emphasis on social and cultural influences on behavior and personality.

There were a number of neo-Freudian thinkers who broke with the Freudian psychoanalytic tradition to develop their own psychodynamic theories. Some of these individuals were initially part of Freud's inner circle.

Freud and Jung once had a close friendship, but Jung broke away to form his own ideas. Jung referred to his theory of personality as analytical psychology, and he introduced the concept of the collective unconscious. He described this as a universal structure shared by all members of the same species containing all of the instincts and archetypes that influence human behavior. 

Jung still placed great emphasis on the unconscious, but his theory placed a higher emphasis on his concept of the collective unconscious rather than the personal unconscious. Like many of the other neo-Freudian's, Jung also focused less on sex than did Freud.

Adler believed that Freud's theories focused too heavily on sex as the primary motivator for human behavior. Instead, Adler placed a lesser emphasis on the role of the unconscious and a greater focus on interpersonal and social influences. 

His approach, known as individual psychology, was centered on the drive that all people have to compensate for their feelings of inferiority. The inferiority complex, he suggested, was a person's feelings and doubts that they do not measure up to other people or to society's expectations.

While Freud believed that personality was mostly set in stone during early childhood, Erikson felt that development continued throughout life. He also believed that not all conflicts were unconscious. 

Many were conscious and the result, he thought, from the developmental process itself. Erikson de-emphasized the role of sex as a motivator for behavior and instead placed a much stronger focus on the role of social relationships.

Horney was one of the first women trained in psychoanalysis, and she was also one of the first to criticize Freud's depictions of women as inferior to men. Horney objected to Freud's portrayal of women as suffering from 'penis envy.' 

Instead, she suggested that men experience 'womb envy' because they are unable to bear children. Her theory focuses on how behavior was influenced by a number of different neurotic needs.

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Several psychologists close to Freud branched out to conceptualise their own models with psychoanalytic underpinnings. Most of them had reservations about the importance to sex and lack of social focus. These included Jung, Adler, Horney and Erikson amongst others.