Psychoanalysis: An Overview

A set of therapeutic procedures or methods which can be traced back from the work of Sigmund Freud is what is exactly known as Psychoanalysis. As humans, many things are repressed inside us, which slowly starts having an impact on us- may it be positive or negative. These things slowly form a part of our mind, known as “unconscious”. The major goal of psychoanalysis is to bring these repressed emotions, feelings or thoughts to the top so that it can be cured. It is not at all easy as it seems. In fact, for some it takes years for this process to occur because they may have suppressed so much inside them that it is hampering their growth.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• This therapy aims at addressing the root cause of the problem.
• It helps in understanding one’s own ‘self’
• It helps in solving many underlying problems too which haven’t been observed by the therapist earlier.

Cons

• The major drawback is that it can be lengthy and costly at the same time.
• The client may feel uncomfortable in dealing with his repressed memories which have been repressed for such a long time.
• This form of therapy may not be suitable for all mental health disorders.

Psychoanalysis has proven beneficial in treating a variety of mental health issues. Some of them are as follows:

• Trauma
• Depression
• Self-esteem concerns
• Sexual difficulties
• Eating disorders
• Anxiety
• Panic attacks

Techniques

• Free association: In this technique, the client is instructed to speak whatever comes to his mind when the therapist calls out some things. This technique has proved extremely useful as there is no particular rule or direction in which the client has to flow. The repressed memories which are buried inside come out freely which makes it easy for the therapist to guide. The memory or emotion comes so easily that sometimes the client feels that he is reliving it. Many therapists use this technique now-a-days as it has proven to be extremely beneficial.
• Dream Interpretation: As Freud had mentioned “Dreams are the royal road to unconscious”. A lot of information can be acquired from our dreams. There are two parts in it: Manifest content depicts information which the dreamer remembers and Latent Content represents the symbolic repressed meaning of a dream. Only and only when the client is able to express his dream to the therapist, can the therapist help him in interpreting his feelings and emotions. The therapist can also add free association here to help bring the repressed memories back on surface. It is not essential that all dreams convey a story about one’s emotions, but one cannot also deny the fact that dreams are connected with our unconscious mind.
• Freudian slip: This term denotes that while having a random conversation with the therapist, a client may unknowingly share certain important information which he has not done prior. Basically, the client has experienced “slip of tongue”. That information can help in the treatment process of the client.

Conclusion

Psychoanalysis helps in providing long lasting advantages to the clients. It helps the client to explore his thoughts and behavior which guides him in making further changes in his life. The process adds on to making the client’s life less messy as his thoughts and feelings gain shape. It helps him in becoming a better version of himself.