WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PSYCHOANALYST AND A PSYCHIATRIST?
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in understanding how medications for mood disorders interact with the body and other medications you may be taking. Some psychiatrists may provide occasional therapy but they primarily provide medication. Psychoanalysts specialize in understanding mental health. They do not prescribe medication.
SHOULD I TAKE MEDICATION OR GO INTO PSYCHOTHERAPY?
It is well established in medical literature that the long-term solution to mental and emotional problems and the pain they cause cannot be solved by medication alone. Instead of just treating the symptom, psychotherapy addresses the cause of our distress and the behavior patterns that curb our progress. You can best achieve sustainable growth and a greater sense of well-being with an integrative approach to wellness. Working with your medical doctor you can determine what’s best for you, and in some cases a combination of both medication and therapy is the right course of action.
HOW DOES TALKING HELP?
Recent neuroscience shows that talking redevelops the dendrites in the brain and creates new synaptic connections. Talking with a therapist actually helps your brain to grow and establishes new emotional pathways.
Because everyone relates to the world through the unique template they learned growing up, therapy is a place where people can come to understand themselves by learning how their own template operates in the world. Difficult emotions like shame, guilt, anger, negativity, pettiness, envy, frustration — you name it! — all have a good purpose, believe it or not. Our work together will help you understand the unique purpose that having those feelings have for you. It will also develop new perspectives that will help to dissolve those unwanted thoughts and feelings more effectively and organically than simple advice giving.
SO IF TALKING HELPS, WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TALKING TO A THERAPIST OR MY BEST FRIEND OR FAMILY?
The difference is talking to someone who has the training and expertise to understand you and your life. Friends and family can be the wrong people. They care too much about you, and may not be able to tolerate deeply hearing you. To talk deeply, you need someone who isn’t either anxious or action-oriented. Talking to someone who listens the right way is transformational.
WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO IN SESSIONS?
Because each person has different issues and life goals, sessions will be different depending on the individual. I tailor my approach to your specific needs. In general, you can expect to discuss the current events happening in your life, your personal history relevant to your issue, and report progress (or any new insights gained) from the previous therapy session. Just say everything and tell the story of your life!
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
Depending on your specific needs, psychotherapy can provide short-term relief, for a specific issue, or have longer-term objectives in order to deal with more difficult patterns or your desire for more personal development. Either way, it is most common to schedule regular weekly 50-minute sessions initially, and then adjust the frequency to your needs.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT AND HOW CAN I GET THE MOST OUT OF THERAPY?
The ultimate purpose of therapy is to help you bring what you learn in sessions back into your life. Psychoanalysis works best and most profoundly when you look for emotional experiences, not ideas. When you seek new perspectives, not advice. If you’re sad, you may need more anger to counteract it. If you’re too angry, you may be fighting grief. New emotional experiences, like getting angry safely, feeling more vulnerable without shame, or loved unconditionally, can help you grow even more than the best ideas or advice. Have faith that discovering new emotional experiences will help you feel more regulated, whole and ready to live life your life in the way you want.
PSYCHOANALYSTS ARE EMOTIONALLY DETACHED FROM THEIR PATIENTS AND ONLY PROVIDE INTELLECTUAL INTERPRETATIONS
Modern analysts are trained to study their emotional reactions to a patient. They use their emotions in order to better understand the person and use these feeling states therapeutically in treatment. This is called emotional communication and it’s been clinically proven to be more effective than intellectual interpretation. Modern analysts believe in the importance of using the self and their own emotional reactions as a therapeutic tool.
PSYCHOANALYSIS FOCUSES ONLY ON THE PAST
The relationship between the patient and the analyst and what transpires between them in the here and now is an essential element of the therapeutic process. This relationship allows the analyst to understand and work to modify repetitive patterns, freeing the patient to experience growth and the possibility of a more satisfying life.
ISN’T PSYCHOANALYSIS OLD-FASHIONED AND OUT OF DATE?
When people think of psychoanalysis, they often think of the theories and method of treatment first introduced by Freud over 120 years ago. Many people are unaware that psychoanalytic ideas have continued to change and evolve, based on clinical experience and research in many fields including neuroscience and psychology. Many would argue that psychoanalysis has not only maintained its relevance within the pop-culture landscape but has made a resurgence. As Joseph Bernstein wrote in his 2023 New York Times article, “Not Your Daddy’s Freud”, younger generations across the country are “rediscovering the talking cure”. Recent films, podcasts, magazines, and articles reflect the importance of psychoanalytic ideas and treatment to the personal, cultural, political, and social issues of today.