Psychoanalytical therapy focuses on finding various mental conflicts in the patient's psyche that are not realized by him / her, as a result of which he experiences difficulties in everyday life or even mental disorders. The patient talks, the therapist listens - but how exactly does psychoanalytic therapy work? In what situations is psychoanalytic therapy used?
Psychoanalytic therapyis one of the types of psychotherapy. It is fairly easy to deduce that it derives from psychoanalysis, whose father is Sigmund Freud. It is the psychoanalytical therapy that is the one that most closely corresponds to the common perception of how psychotherapy can actually proceed - during psychoanalytic therapy, the patient can actually lie on the couch and tell the therapist about various events.
Psychoanalytical therapy: assumptions
Psychoanalytical psychotherapy is based on the division of the human mind into three parts, consistent with the assumptions of psychoanalysis. These include:
- id- structure responsible for drive behavior;
- ego- playing a role in contacts with the outside world and ensuring communication between the other components of the psyche;
- superego- a structure responsible for adherence to various norms and rules, and also plays a role in distinguishing between good and bad things.
Under proper conditions, all three parts of the psyche interact with each other while remaining in dynamic equilibrium. However, when this balance is disturbed, various mental disorders may appear in patients - the essence of psychoanalytical therapy in this case is to restore the balance between individual parts of the patient's psyche.
A person subjected to psychoanalytical therapy can sit or lie on a couch - the most important thing is to make them as comfortable as possible and to stay in a therapy office in the most comfortable conditions for them.
In psychoanalytical therapy, paying attention to these processes, which we are completely unaware of on a daily basis, plays an extremely important role. According to the developersIn psychoanalysis, various emotional conflicts that we experience on a daily basis can be consciously experienced by us, although not fully - some of them are "worked out" within the unconscious. It can protect us from the effects of psychological stresses (e.g. by preventing a complete nervous breakdown), although unawareness can also lead to the appearance of various problems in people related to the functioning of the psyche.
It happens that various psychological conflicts - caused by, for example, bullying by peers or the experience of a heavy, traumatic event - end up in the unconscious and are generally not properly processed. Such a situation protects the patient's psyche from a complete upset, but it may result in the appearance of various problems in the field of psychopathology, such as various types of anxiety or mood disorders, sometimes reaching the intensity corresponding to depression.
The premise of psychoanalytical therapy is a deeper look at the patient's psyche and discovering such unaware conflicts. This happens through the patient's meetings with his therapist. The topics of the talks are not imposed top-down - the patient talks about what he or she wants to talk about at a given moment. It can be information about the course of his day, but also memories from many, many years ago.
Psychoanalytical therapy: how does it work and what is its purpose?
During psychoanalytical therapy, the patient has to tell about what his therapist is doing at the time? The person conducting the therapy must first of all listen carefully, but also draw conclusions - the task of the psychoanalytical therapist is to show the patient how the events experienced by him in the past affect how he behaves and thinks now.
However, before there are many conversation sessions in the therapy room, initial meetings with the therapist take place first. Their goal is, above all, to find out what specific problem the patient would like to tackle. Later, the principles of therapy are established, and more precisely, what the therapeutic relationship between the patient and his psychotherapist will look like.
The patient tells, the therapist listens - what is important, the listener is impartial and neutral (which does not mean that the therapist is to be indifferent - he must approach what he hears without judging the patient, but only pointing various mechanisms and disorders that guide his behavior).
Ultimately the goal of therapypsychoanalytic is to obtain a permanent change of the patient's personality.
During this type of psychotherapy, patients are drawn to various psychological conflicts that guide their behavior and which should be worked through by them. It is often associated with various difficulties, which is why it is so important to be under the care of a psychotherapist during this period - the role of a specialist is to help the patient in these difficult moments.
Although during psychoanalytical psychotherapy the patient may actually be quite difficult, ultimately it is possible to achieve the goals of the therapy assumed at the very beginning. First of all, the effect of undergoing therapy is to improve the functioning of the patient in everyday life and to better cope with everyday situations that are difficult for the psyche. Psychoanalytical therapy may also lead to the liberation of the patient from the mental disorders experienced by him.
ImportantPsychoanalytical therapy: in what cases is it used?
Psychotherapy is generally the second - apart from pharmacotherapy - the basic method of treating various mental disorders and diseases. In the case of psychoanalytical therapy, it is typically used in patients struggling with:
- depressive disorder,
- anxiety disorders,
- obsessive-compulsive disorder,
- personality disorder,
- psychosomatic disorders.
Psychoanalytical therapy, however, is also carried out in patients who struggle with difficulties in interpersonal relations. This type of psychotherapy can also be considered by those people who experience various difficulties with friendships or relationship problems.
Psychoanalytical therapy: how long does it last and how often does the patient see a psychotherapist?
The specific duration of psychoanalytical therapy cannot be given - in one patient it is necessary to conduct psychotherapy longer, and in another shorter. In general, however, it can be said that psychoanalytical therapy lasts quite a long time - sometimes therapy sessions last for several months, sometimes even for several years.
Psychoanalytical therapy sessions take place, if possible, at fixed times, usually two to four times a week. The time of a single meeting is predetermined and usually takes about 45-50 minutes.
Psychoanalytical therapy: who can do it?
Psychotherapy is generally conducted by psychotherapists, who may be educated peoplepsychologists or doctors. It is worth emphasizing here, however, that psychoanalytical therapy is carried out by specialists who have undergone psychotherapy themselves - such a necessity arose because it is considered justified that people who have solved psychological problems should be helped by people who themselves solved any psychologies that torment them, problems.
About the authorBow. Tomasz NęckiA graduate of medicine at the Medical University of Poznań. An admirer of the Polish sea (most willingly strolling along its shores with headphones in his ears), cats and books. In working with patients, he focuses on always listening to them and spending as much time as they need.