What is Psychoanalysis?

Psychoanalysis is a 'talking cure' founded by Viennese clinician Sigmund Freud in the 1890s, in response to puzzling somatic symptoms brought in by his patients. It has since spread into a movement that has influenced many corners of culture and society worldwide.

 

Psychoanalysis is predicated on taking the idea of the unconscious seriously: wishes and impressions that motivate us often conflict with our conscious desires or self-apprehension. Because of this conflict, we flee from knowledge of what really drives us, which is compelled to 'speak' via symptoms.

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Psychoanalysis involves talking about the past, about relationships, about seemingly insignificant everyday events that bring up something troubling, and about dreams and fantasies. While some treatments aim at removing symptoms immediately, psychoanalysis aims at giving you space to consider the causes of your dismay, and to come up with your own unique solutions.