Psychoanalysis
When we think of psychoanalysis, images of a person lying on a couch talking to a man with a beard often come to mind. Perhaps this is due to the fact that psychoanalysis was created by Sigmund Freud. Freud theorized that much of what makes people unhappy is due to repressed memories and experiences from childhood. Confronting these … Keep Reading → “demons” in a safe environment under the care of a trained psychiatrist, Freud felt, would allow the person to understand the reasons for their present day problems. Modern day psychoanalysis owes much to the work of Freud; but it also has significant differences. Freud’s obsession with the sexual component of memory repression is not commonly emphasized in psychoanalysis today. Instead, the therapist seeks to have the patient discuss the thoughts that are causing them difficulty. Through this process the therapist attempts to guide the patient to an understanding of what the origin of the problem was. Understanding this may help patients to “let go” of disturbing thoughts and the resulting problems.
