The psychoanalytic method, ‘the talking cure’, addresses problems of life through speaking. It strives to find singularity by investigating the intricate tapestry of one’s history, speech, and desires.

Psychoanalysts undergo rigorous training which includes many years of personal analysis of multiple times per week and weekly clinical supervision, whilst undertaking theoretical and clinical studies in psychoanalysis.

Psychoanalysis differs from manualised therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Whilst these modalities can teach skills that aim to correct thoughts or behaviours, symptoms and mental health difficulties are seen as mistakes to be avoided instead of as the bearers of truth.

In psychoanalysis, the work begins with some preliminary sessions of speaking together about your concerns and difficulties. It provides an opportunity for you to determine whether this way of working is for you. As the process of analysis unfolds, you are offered the opportunity to interrogate, historicise and subjectivise your distinct difficulties and symptoms that operate within the unconscious, profoundly affecting your decisions and actions.

In the lacanian orientation, the practitioner is oriented to listening deeply to each person and the words of their unique speech. Just as slips of the tongue, bodily symptoms or psychological symptoms, dreams are privileged expressions of the unconscious governed by the laws of language that reveal deeper truths. Over the course of treatment, the person can develop a deeper understanding of life-long patterns of thinking, feeling and experiencing and how these are defined and regulated by one’s unconscious. 

Should you be considering whether psychoanalysis may be the appropriate approach for you, an initial consultation can be arranged to discuss your unique circumstances in greater detail.