Why Psychoanalytic Treatment?

“A psychoanalysis, consists in speaking freely, in not hushing the ideas

that go through your head... Little by little, 

from within your own words, another meaning forms and surprises 

you, then falls apart, taking the pain with it. Usually, you discover just 

how conditioned you had been by apparently minute elements 

encountered in hazardous circumstances: things from childhood, 

meetings, certain words said to you, and we keep coming back to them 

until the malevolent charge of these elements softens. Each case is 

different.” (Jacques-Alain Miller, 2005.)

Understanding Psychoanalysis: An Overview of the Oldest Psychological Treatment in the West

Psychoanalysis is the oldest and most recognizable form of psychological treatment in the West and is used to address a wide variety of disorders and problems in living. The psychoanalytic method involves an analyst and an analysand, one listens while the other speaks. At some point in this process it becomes apparent that something has been repressed, cut-off, dis-jointed, in the mind of the analysand and the analyst works to bring this unconscious conflict to light.

The Psychoanalytic Method

Psychoanalytic treatment allows one to gain experience with thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that often go unnoticed but have a large impact on daily life. Psychoanalysis offers a space where you can speak openly without inhibition, without censor. Unlike typical social environments that are ruled by judgment and social norms, psychoanalytic space is where saying whatever comes to mind is acceptable and encouraged. Over the course of treatment, symptoms may abate and become less distressing as you begin to resolve internal conflicts, reduce attachments to destructive habits, and open up to new possibilities.

Commitment to the Process

Beginning psychoanalytic treatment involves a dedication to frequent and regular sessions. This ongoing commitment, supported by a psychoanalyst, helps individuals confront parts of themselves that inhibit living a satisfied and fulfilling life.