Therapists Who Practice Psychoanalytic Therapy

Psychoanalytic therapy is an in depth talk therapy approach that works to bring unconscious thoughts to the surface and work through difficult emotions or experiences that may have been repressed or suppressed. Some specific tools used are free association (saying what comes to mind when given a prompt word), dream analysis, and transference analysis (observing and interpreting feelings transferred to the therapist by the client). Attachment approaches and the therapeutic alliance between the client and therapist are very important in this approach. Originally developed by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), psychoanalysis paved the way for many other branches of psychotherapy.