Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis begins with suffering. Fears, worries, difficulties, problems, and dissatisfaction make life difficult. These can vary greatly. They may involve problems at work or the difficulty of finding a satisfying job; they may involve problems entering into a romantic relationship or dissatisfaction within a relationship; they may involve various fears in dealing with other people or difficulties in making contact and maintaining friendships.

At the outset of psychoanalysis, however, there is also the conviction that this can be changed. This suffering is also understood as something we can do something about. Life is not merely a matter of fate; rather, through an intensive examination of ourselves, we can better understand it and alleviate this suffering. Psychoanalysis builds on this human capacity to reflect on oneself, to talk about oneself, to understand oneself better, and thereby to learn to cope more effectively with these fears, worries, and difficulties.

One characteristic of mental health issues is that they are often accompanied by a sense of helplessness regarding how to alleviate this suffering on one’s own, without the help of others. Sometimes the problems and difficulties seem clear enough to see, yet we are unable to take direct action against them. At other times, the fears and problems are unclear and diffuse. Apparently, their causes are (partially) hidden from us, and we are often denied direct access to understanding the roots of our own suffering. It is at this point of psychological distress that psychoanalysis comes into play.

Psychoanalysis is a therapeutic method based on the experience that speaking freely in a safe space with a psychoanalyst provides relief and helps individuals better understand the causes of their suffering. The psychoanalytic setting—lying on the couch—and the high frequency of sessions, typically four per week, help uncover and work through the unconscious causes of suffering. Psychoanalysis is an intensive process that takes a significant amount of time and fundamentally transforms one’s life and experience. Psychoanalysis can alleviate suffering, open up new possibilities for one’s life, and contribute to a deeper understanding of one’s own life.

If you are interested in psychoanalysis, I invite you to come in for three initial sessions to get a sense of how the analytical process works, how I work, and whether psychoanalysis is right for you.