Sigmund Freud's Psychoanalytic Therapy

Psychoanalytic Therapy is a type of treatment based on the theories of Sigmund Freud, who is considered one of the forerunners of psychology and the founder of psychoanalysis. This therapy explores how the unconscious mind influences thoughts and behaviors, with the goal of offering insight and resolution to the person seeking treatment.

Psychoanalytic Therapy tends to look at early childhood experiences to see if these events have affected the individual's life, or potentially contributed to current concerns. This form of therapy is considered a long-term option and can continue for weeks, months, or even years, depending on the depth of concern being explored..

Unlike several other types of therapy, S. Freud's Psychoanalytic Therapy aims to make profound changes in personality and emotional development.

Assumptions of Psychoanalytic Therapy

It can be helpful to know what so-called psychoanalysts are working from when considering a type of therapy. While each therapist will work differently according to the needs of the individual seeking therapy, many of them work on the following assumptions:

• Psychological problems originate from the unconscious.
• They manifest symptoms caused by hidden or "latent" alterations..
• Typical causes of psychological distress include unresolved issues during development or repressed trauma.
• Treatment seems to bring repressed conflict to the surface where people can deal with it.

How does psychoanalytic therapy work?

Psychoanalytic Therapy is a vision of impulses and therefore aims to promote change by helping you understand your past and how events in your early life might be affecting you now. Sessions will vary depending on where you are in the course of your therapy, but most of the time will be spent talking freely with your therapist in a safe, non-judgmental environment..

The psychoanalyst will listen to your concerns and look at patterns or certain events that may be of importance. In this type of therapy, unconscious feelings and childhood events are believed to play a key role in mental distress..

In addition to listening to you talk about your experiences, your therapist can use other techniques to help identify potential causes for your concerns. These techniques can include:

• Free Association: Free association involves talking about whatever comes to mind, without censoring or editing the flow of memories / ideas. Your therapist will encourage you to speak freely to help you revert to a previous emotional state so that you can better understand the recurring patterns of conflict you may be experiencing..
• Therapeutic transfer: Transfer refers to the way you may be transferring thoughts or feelings connected to influential figures in your life (for example, your parents or siblings) to your therapist. While this may not happen in all cases, if it does, your therapist should discuss the transference with you to help you gain a better understanding of how you deal with people in your daily life..
• Interpretation: A key element of psychoanalytic therapy is interpreting and "reading between the lines." While your therapist is likely to be relatively calm and allow you to speak freely, he will get in the way from time to time with thoughts or interpretations of the issues being discussed. Your psychoanalyst may also ask you about your dreams; Freud wrote a lot on the subject of dream analysis and believed that dreams were important resources for understanding the unconscious.

Applications of Psychoanalytic Therapy

Psychoanalytic Therapy can be used by those who have a specific emotional concern, as well as those who simply want to explore themselves. Understanding why we are the way we are often brings with it a sense of well-being and a greater sense of ourselves. Perhaps it is less helpful for those looking for quick, solution-focused therapies. Psychoanalytic Therapy is a gradual process that takes time, however, the results can be life changing..

Some believe that due to the nature of therapy, psychoanalytic work is better suited to more general concerns, such as anxiety, relationship difficulties, sexual problems, or low self-esteem. Social phobias, shyness, and sleeping difficulties are other examples of areas that could be addressed within psychoanalytic therapy..

Critics have noted that therapy may not be as helpful for those with more specific or obsession-based problems, such as obsessive-compulsive behavior (OCD), as they may be too preoccupied with their actions to fully participate..