Psychoanalysis originated with the pioneering work of Sigmund Freud in the early 1900's. Originally developed in an effort to understand and alleviate psychological disturbance, it developed into a complex theory of the mind and human development. Its application has enriched our understanding of human motivation and behavior as well as our appreciation of the arts.
Although contemporary practice is diverse in many ways, all psychoanalytic approaches share the basic assumptions that:
1) feelings and behaviors are influenced by factors outside one's awareness (that is, unconscious motivations);
2) one's unique history shapes the present experience in significant ways; and
3) by gaining awareness of these aspects of one's life, an individual can diminish painful feelings and behaviors and promote more pleasurable and successful ones.
Psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy share these assumptions but differ in frequency of sessions and use of the couch. In psychoanalysis, the patient usually comes three or four times per week, lies on a couch, and is encouraged to say everything that comes to mind. This process fosters the emergence of aspects of the mind not accessible to other methods of observation and treatment. It also encourages the development of a particular kind of relationship, which helps in understanding the individual's specific ways of relating and perceiving the world. It is within this relationship that the two work together to understand the meaning of the underlying sources of the patient's difficulties. The focus of the relationship itself (called transference) is also a distinguishing feature of psychoanalytic treatment. Psychoanalysts have had extensive training and have received a Certificate in Psychoanalysis (signifying they have completed coursework, supervision, and their own personal analysis). Many other therapists use psychoanalytic theory in their work with children and adults as a way of enriching and deepening their work.
Psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy may be applied to a wide range of emotional problems and used with people varying in age from as young as 2 or 3 years old to older adults. When seeing children and adolescents, techniques are modified to deal with their developmental limitations, such as using play or drawing to explore and understand their fantasies.
Many problems in living stem from unconscious factors, which explains why they are not resolved by advice from friends, self-help books, or efforts of will. What distinguishes psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy from other approaches is the focus on uncovering, exploring, and understanding these factors and how they affect the patient's life. In this way one can experience personal development and liberation from unsatisfying and painful patterns of living. Through the insight and self-understanding that results from psychoanalysis or psychoanalytic psychotherapy, one can see significant changes in work and love relationships, relief from symptoms, and an expanded capacity for creativity. The benefits for children and adolescents are similar but also aim at eliminating roadblocks that have interfered with normal development.
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