What is Psychoanalysis?

Clinical psychoanalysis is an intensive, open-ended form of treatment focused on helping patients to understand the full depth of their minds—their central unconscious wishes, fears, conflicts, defenses, and identifications. Whereas psychodynamic psychotherapy focuses on more modest goals such as relieving particular symptoms, strengthening self-esteem, or reducing emotional suffering, psychoanalysis seeks to resolve problems deeply rooted in a patient’s very personality.

To this end, psychoanalytic treatment seeks to facilitate regression—that is, the ability to sit with painful, disorganized, and intense emotions characteristic of early childhood. In this state of regression, patients begin to relate to their analysts with an emotional gravity reminiscent of early caregivers. By exploring what emerges in the relationship between the analyst and the patient, the analyst helps the patient to gain deeper self-understanding and work through unconscious conflicts.

More frequent points of contact between the patient and analyst as well as the use of the analytic couch—the patient lying supine on the couch with the analyst out of sight—allow for the facilitation of regression and working through. It is common for patients in psychoanalytic treatment to work with their analysts three to five times a week.

See also: Nancy McWilliams, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy