PSYCHOTHERAPY AND PSYCHOANALYSIS
Psychotherapy is a process focused on understanding conflicts and creating meaning through self-discovery. It is the first step towards change. It is a space where trust can develop in a non-judgmental and safe environment that helps to foster curiosity about the person’s inner-world and is respectful of his/her experiences, beliefs and values.
Psychoanalysis is a specific kind of treatment that aims at understanding ways of thinking, behaving and relating to others that are outside of the person’s awareness. This lack of awareness often results in repetitive patterns of behavior that lead to dissatisfaction and emotional suffering. With the analyst’s help, the individual attains knowledge and understanding of him or herself and their difficulties, allowing for change to occur.
Even though psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy share the same aim, psychoanalysis is a more intensive form of treatment. In psychotherapy, sessions take place once or twice per week and the treatment is usually conducted sitting face-to-face. In psychoanalysis, sessions take place 3, 4 or 5 times per week. Also, the individual lies on a couch where the analyst stays outside his/her visual field. This allows the individual to focus on his/her thoughts rather than on the interaction and speak more freely about his/her ideas, feelings and experiences.
Psychoanalysis can be most helpful when problems seem to be repetitive and difficult to change. It can be especially useful for people who have longstanding symptoms of depression, anxiety or a diminished capacity for enjoyment, and who have had unsuccessful treatment experiences in the past with less intensive or brief treatments. It can also be useful for people who are in psychotherapy and would like to deepen their understanding of themselves.