Psychoanalytic Therapy

Psychoanalysis, or psychoanalytic psychology/therapy, is pioneered by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Even though later research has debunked some of his theories, his ideas were quite innovative for his time.

In his early career, Freud used free association and dream interpretation to access people’s unconsciousness, trying to find the root causes of mental illnesses. Psychoanalysis believes that a huge part of our mind is unconscious but significantly influences our feelings, decision-making, and behaviours. This point has been verified by modern neurological technology. By uncovering unconscious beliefs and wishes, people gain insight into their behaviours. They can also integrate their unconscious drives through talk therapy so they are not controlled and blindsided by their inexpressible drives.

Freud invented the id-ego-superego triad model to analyze the human psyche. Id stands for the primitive part of us that is impulsive, sexually driven, and aggressive; superego is the moral part of us that criticizes and judges; ego regulates and mediates these different psychic forces. Psychoanalysis helps clients through building a strong ego that can well regulate the id and superego.

Psychoanalysis also focuses largely on digging into past experiences. It believes that most of our today’s values and patterns are formed in our childhood years by caregivers.

Feminists have criticized Freud’s ideas (e.g., the anxiety of castration) for being patriarchal and male-centred. Some of his ideas show his own unresolved issues with his mother and his sexuality. Modern psychoanalysis has moved beyond the original theories of Freud. Freud also did not have a favourable view of religions by calling them “illusions.” This view results in his split-up with his once-favourite student, Car Jung.

Traditional psychoanalysis requires 2-5 sessions per week for years. After Freud’s death, psychoanalysis has been developed into many variations under the umbrella of psychodynamics.