Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is a talking therapy that uses the power of speaking and the skill of non-judgemental listening to help bring about positive change. It is based on the psychoanalytic knowledge that forms the basis of all other dynamic forms of psychotherapy.
While the therapy works on the basis of speaking, it is not speaking in the sense of a casual chat. This is a particular kind of speaking that helps you to gently and respectfully examine and explore the emotions and ideas behind the issues that are most troubling for you. Using the medium of speech in a therapeutic way can bring positive and lasting change.
Central Influences
Central influences that shape us include childhood experiences, family relationships, experiences of sexuality and love, or emotional loss and trauma. Even small disturbances in these areas can have ripple effects.
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy gives central importance to the unconscious or hidden effects of these disturbances which can be at the root of depression, anxiety, or repeated negative patterns that seem to have no discernible cause. These disturbances can also find expression in compulsions, phobias, eating disorders, repeating behaviours, as well as in problematic career and relationship issues.