EVA BIRCH
psychoanalysis &
counselling
counselling
Psychoanalysis, or the “talking cure,” was discovered at the turn of the 20th century. It is concerned with the speech of the patient (the analysand). Through free association the analysand lands on elements of their unconscious, which often contradict the rational and conscious narratives they use to “understand” their problems. Psychoanalysis is different to other modalities that might apply pre-conceived models and solutions to categorised individuals; instead, it works to get at the very root of suffering, which is completely unique to each person.
During the course of a psychoanalysis, an analysand works frequently with their analyst usually over a relatively long period of time. The analysand slowly begins to shed some of their chatter and gets closer to previously unknown wishes and desires. Their symptom is eventually, after many repetitions, converted into a new form, one that may cause less suffering and/or allow them to begin to act more freely in the world.