What is Psychoanalysis?
Utilizing a psychoanalysis approach is crucial to understanding your unconscious processes and finding solutions for underlying mental health issues.
What is Psychoanalysis?
Psychoanalysis isn't always a cure for various mental health problems, but instead a method of unearthing underlying issues in order to treat them. By discovering these root causes, patients are more adequately equipped with how to deal with symptoms and repercussions.
Modern psychoanalysis falls under the branch of psychotherapy and helps dig deeper into hidden or unconscious mental processes that determine your thoughts, feelings, or actions. Once you identify these issues, you are in a better space to tackle any physical, mental, emotional, or psychological problems you may be having. Identifying the problem allows you to trace the source of your problem while showing your current situation.
Scope of Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis has greatly affected society ever since its inception. Some mental health providers use psychoanalysis as a viable mental health treatment method as well. It has many other uses as well, including its ability to help relieve mental health symptoms, enable patients to have a greater self-awareness in decisions and actions, and allow patients to have enough scope to face their problems.
Psychologists cannot prescribe medication, but instead use various therapeutic techniques to treat mental health problems in patients.
History of Psychoanalysis
The history of psychoanalysis dates back to the 1890s under Sigmund Freud's theory. The goal of Freudian psychoanalysis is to bring the subconscious or the unconscious mind more to the forefront. Psychologists still utilize some of Freud’s teachings to this day, although many of them have become too outdated to use in practice.1
Components of Psychoanalysis
The goal of psychoanalysis is to understand your innermost feelings and thoughts using various psychoanalytic techniques. However, the four primary components of Freudian psychoanalysis that comprise modern psychoanalysis include:
Interpretation Psychoanalysis
During interpretation, analysts conduct an analysis by conversing with patients verbally. The analyst develops a hypothesis concerning the patient's unconscious thoughts. The psychoanalyst then helps the patient see any defense mechanism they have, why the mechanism developed, and the patient's motivation to adapt. 2
Stages of Interpretation
You can classify interpretation as a few stages:
Transference Analysis
Transference means the unconscious, non-verbal, and verbal repetition of the patient's behaviors. Transference analysis is a crucial step in psychoanalysis because it is the primary change driver in mental health treatment.
The analyst identifies the client's communication and explains why the client behaves the way they do. This explanation becomes the basics of psychoanalysis and the foundation of the patient's recovery, behavior, or character change.
Technical Neutrality
Technical neutrality is an aspect that demands analysts to remain neutral to their clients, that they do not impose their values, and avoid taking sides with their clients. Analysts should also serve as a mirror where clients can see their behaviors, assumptions, and characteristics so that clients understand themselves better.
Countertransference Analysis
Countertransference is the reactions of analysts and what clients bring to a session. Analysts view their clients objectively and understand the transference between their experience and the client.
Psychoanalytic Techniques
People attending psychoanalysis meet with therapists generally once every week or two. In many cases, these appointments may last months or years. Some common psychoanalysis treatment techniques include:
Psychoanalysis Fundamentals
A psychoanalytic theory uses the following fundamentals of psychoanalysis: 5
What Does a Psychoanalyst Do?
Psychoanalysts use their preferred psychoanalytic theory to:
Psychoanalysis Effectiveness
A psychoanalytic theory is important for everyday healing and influences mental illness recovery. Psychoanalysis is effective for mental health issues in the following ways:
Find Out More About Psychoanalysis at Anew Treatment Center
Psychoanalytic theorists brought significant and lasting impacts to the fields of psychology and psychoanalysis. Learn more about these theories at Anew Treatment Center, along with the history of psychoanalysis, psychoanalysis tools, and more. Though this can be a long process, our analysts are prepared to walk with you and develop proper treatment plans for mental health conditions.
Contact us today if you or a loved one is ready to begin utilizing psychoanalysis as a way of recovering from a co-occurring disorder, or to help get to the root of any underlying trauma.
Resources
- https://pacja.org.au/2016/09/a-brief-history-of-psychoanalysis-from-freud-to-fantasy-to-folly-2/
- http://freudfile.org/psychoanalysis/defence_mecanism.html
- https://www.simplypsychology.org/freudian-slip.html
- https://changingminds.org/disciplines/psychoanalysis/articles/lacanian_psychoanalysis.htm#:~:text
- https://sites.wp.odu.edu/tatum-fisherengl333/theory-2/#:~:text=
Learn More About Our Treatment Programs
Our team is ready to talk and determine how we can help. Rest assured your call is confidential. We're here for you.
