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Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis
are based on the recognition that people are
unaware of many of the unconscious factors that
determine our feelings and emotions. What we are
aware of is what we call "symptoms" such as
depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and
"personality traits" such as the inability to
get along with people, have a relationship, or
find fulfilling work. These symptoms and life
problems let us know that something is wrong.
Because they are caused by unconscious
conflicts, talking to friends or reading self
help books usually doesn’t provide lasting
relief. |
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What
happens in psychotherapy or analysis?
Through frequent conversations psychoanalytic
psychotherapist and psychoanalysts help people
get at these underlying, unconscious factors
which influence all our relationships and cause
us to become stuck in repetitive, destructive
patterns. At their own pace, each person
explores the history of their symptoms and
patterns of behavior. In the course of their
treatment, the patient becomes aware of the
underlying sources of his or her difficulties
not simply intellectually, but emotionally. |
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In psychoanalysis and psychotherapy the person
seeking relief is asked only to talk about every
thought and feeling, past and present that comes
into their mind. All ideas, memories, dreams,
even passing thoughts are considered important.
Over many sessions, as the person continues to
speak without censorship, unconscious sources of
difficulties begin to become clear to both
patient and therapist. Once a person has
identified unconscious sources of past
difficulties, they can begin to see similar or
related unconscious sources appear in current
functioning or relationships and perhaps trace
them back to their historical origins, and
thereby deal better with the present. |
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What
is the role of the
psychotherapist/psychoanalyst?
The psychotherapist/analyst is an involved
partner who provides a supportive environment
where the person seeking help can feel safe
enough to speak freely. Each psychotherapist/
psychoanalyst brings their years of training and
experience to the process of listening and
reflecting back to each person particular
aspects of what they are discussing. |
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How
do I know which to choose, psychoanalysis or
psychotherapy?
Most people begin by having a consultation with
a therapist and discussing each process. Both
offer an opportunity to foster personal
development. Often a person will begin with the
less intensive of the two, psychoanalytic
psychotherapy in which a person meets with a
therapist once or twice a week and sits face to
face. Psychoanalysis is more intensive. It
requires three, four, or sometimes five sessions
per week. A person in analysis will most often
lie on a couch facing away from the analyst. In
this way, the analyst fades into the background
and the person is released from the convention
of ordinary conversation and able to connect
with their thoughts and feelings more deeply. It
is also easier to speak about difficult,
troubling things when you are not facing someone
directly. Frequent sessions support deeper work;
patients can talk without fear of running out of
time or loosing continuity between sessions.
Psychoanalysis is often helpful for those who
have tried psychotherapy but found only partial
relief or for those still stuck in repetitive
patterns of self-defeating behavior or for those
nagged by negative feelings that impact on their
ability to work or relate to others, or both. |
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Who
needs treatment? Why?
If you are someone who has experienced repeated
failures outside of conscious control in work
and relationships, or you are someone who has
self-destructive patterns of behavior, or you
are significantly impaired by long-standing
symptoms: depression or anxiety, sexual
incapacities, or physical symptoms without any
demonstrable underlying physical cause, you may
be able to find relief through psychotherapy or
psychoanalysis and should consider a
consultation with a psychoanalytic
psychotherapist. If you find that your
character/personality is limiting your ability
to enjoy life and make healthy choices for
yourself, consider meeting with a psychoanalyst
to explore whether analysis is right for you.
Research has shown that people who have not
responded to other therapies or medication have
been helped by both psychoanalysis and
psychotherapy to develop the capacity to take
greater satisfaction and pleasure from work,
love, and play. However, because psychotherapy
and psychoanalysis is a highly individualized
treatment, it is very difficult to predict with
certainty what the individual benefits will be
which is why it is important to seek out a
consultation with an experienced psychoanalytic
psychotherapist or psychoanalyst. |
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Both therapeutic endeavors, psychoanalytic
psychotherapy and psychoanalysis, involve a
unique setting, circumstance, and partnership
through which remarkable personal development is
possible. Self-awareness can flourish; psychic
pain and conflict can be reduced; coping,
decision-making, and interpersonal skills can
grow flexible and strong. And crucially, through
psychoanalysis or psychotherapy, a person can
develop to the best of their abilities. |
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