When is psychoanalytic therapy used

Psychodynamic therapy is a therapeutic technique that is used to help clients work through entrenched issues such We all experience a wide range of emotions. There are many emotions which we experience as a pleasant e. The various counselling modalities through which therapists engage with clients can each suggest a very different We use cookies to provide and improve our services. By using our site, you consent to cookies. More details. All site Counsellor or psychotherapists Events Search. Searching for a specific counsellor or psychotherapist?

Try our advanced search. Psychoanalytic therapy. Jump to: The history of psychoanalysis How does psychoanalytic therapy work? Applications of psychoanalytic therapy Go. The history of psychoanalysis As mentioned above, the theories behind psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic therapy come from the work of Sigmund Freud. How does psychoanalytic therapy work? This can help the person refine, correct, reject and modify disturbing thoughts and feelings. During analysis, the person comes to terms with these insights, noting their influence on experience in daily life, in fantasies and in dreams.

By working with the analyst, the person can come to gain control over disabling life patterns and incapacitating symptoms. Regular treatment is needed to develop the closeness and intimacy required for this form of self-exploration. The patient sets their own pace and agenda for the treatment by saying everything that comes into their mind, to the best of their ability. The setting for treatment is important.

Regular session times usually last fifty minutes each week. This helps create a reliable environment in which a patient feels they can trust their psychoanalyst. An analysis may take months or years, because of the deep emotional work involved. Patients are often asked to lie on a couch, which also helps create a setting of trust. However not all patients use a couch. Most psychoanalysts will not take notes during a session with a patient.

Taking notes could interfere with their task of listening and responding to the patient. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. The Alexander technique stresses that movement should be economical and needs only the minimum amount of energy and effort. Family and friends of people with Alzheimer's disease discuss their experiences and how to recognise the early signs.

Well-managed anger can be a useful emotion that motivates you to make positive changes. He concluded that unconscious forces were often responsible for psychological distress and disruptions. Psychoanalytic therapists typically spend a lot of time listening to people talk about their lives, which is why it's known as "the talking cure. Childhood activities, as well as unconscious emotions, impulses, and motives, are believed to play a role in mental illness and maladaptive behaviour, according to psychoanalysts.

Other approaches used in psychoanalytic therapy include free association, transference discovery, observing defenses and emotions that patients may not be conscious of, and dream interpretation. People who are undergoing psychoanalytic therapy usually meet with their therapist once a week and can stay in therapy for several weeks, months, or even years.

People should be able to gain insight and knowledge of the unconscious forces that lead to their current mental state as a result of this process. Psychoanalysis can be very intense and personal for patients at times. Suggested Answers. McLeod, S. Simply Psychology. Fisher, S. The scientific credibility of Freud's theories and therapy. Columbia University Press. Fonagy, P. Several entries in the area of psycho-analysis and clinical psychology. Freud, A. The Ego and the mechanisms of defense.

Noonan, J. An obsessive-compulsive reaction treated by induced anxiety. American Journal of Psychotherapy , 25 2 , Prochaska, J. DiClemente The transtheoretical approach: Crossing traditional boundaries of therapy.

Homewood, Ill. Salzman, L. Treatment of the obsessive personality. Jason Aronson Inc. Shapiro, T. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association , 39, Svartberg, M. Comparative effects of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy: a meta-analysis. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology , 59 5 , Toggle navigation.

Saul McLeod , updated Psychoanalysis is defined as a set of psychological theories and therapeutic methods which have their origin in the work and theories of Sigmund Freud.