Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy

What is Psychoanalysis? and What Does Psychoanalysis Look Like in Practice?

Psychoanalysis operates on the premise that there exists a knowledge not known to ourselves—an unconscious dimension of knowledge. If one always worked in one’s own best interests and was fully in control, we would not be capable of self-destructive behaviours such as anorexia, addiction, gambling, or persistent anxiety or depression. These are areas often explored within psychoanalytic counselling in Dublin.

Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is a practice that focuses primarily on speech. Language is our connection to reality, as reality is grounded in speech. Psychoanalysis is an effective method of treatment for those experiencing disturbances in affect, thought, or behaviour. Clinical experience shows that when one symptom disappears, it is often replaced by another. Psychoanalysis aims to undo the identifications and fixations that have led to the repetition in symptom formation. This approach is central to psychoanalytic psychotherapy Dublin services.

Clinical practice in the psychoanalytic orientation is preoccupied with the singularity of each client, working on a case-by-case basis rather than a one-size-fits-all model. Speech provides the means to access what is symptomatic, allowing underlying conflicts and compromises to come to light and become analysable.

What is the Role of the Therapist?

The role of the psychoanalytic psychotherapist is to direct the treatment by following the speech of the client to where the symptom and the unconscious are connected. Through speech, the manifest content of symptoms—such as anxiety, depression, addiction, eating disorders, panic attacks, and OCD—gives way to deeper meaning. Language plays a significant role in how an individual experiences their symptoms.

Generally, analysis is conducted by inviting the client to speak freely about their suffering. The psychoanalyst provides a specific form of listening that aims to hear something beyond what is consciously said. This will be illustrated below with two clinical vignettes.

The Session Framework

Psychoanalytic psychotherapists work with a variable-length session. This means the session may end at a significant moment—such as the articulation of a crucial question or the recognition of a contradiction. The time between sessions is used to reflect on and process the material raised, allowing it to be developed further in the next session.

The aim of an analytical session is not to achieve immediate closure or resolution within a fixed timeframe. Instead, through questioning ideas and untangling associative threads, the focus shifts from “How long do I have?” to “Why did my analyst stop me at that moment?” Sessions become part of an ongoing therapeutic process.

What Are Some of the Interventions/Methods Used in Session?

The psychoanalytic technique involves careful listening and interpretation. As Freud and Lacan suggest, meaningful speech often lies “between the lines”—in what is repressed or unspoken.

Psychoanalysis teaches that understanding cannot occur independently of the client–practitioner relationship. The psychoanalytic approach avoids giving direct advice, as no two individuals are the same. What works for one person may not be suitable for another. Instead, each person is supported in discovering their own solutions, with the therapist facilitating awareness of their internal resources.

The ethics of psychoanalysis involve listening to what the client truly desires, beyond socially imposed expectations. It is not about becoming a perfectly functioning or adapted individual, but about exploring and understanding one’s own desires.

The Issues Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Can Treat

Psychoanalytic psychotherapy welcomes anyone who has questions about their symptoms and can help individuals gain deeper clarity about their experiences. It not only addresses symptoms but also explores their origins. For this reason, consistency and commitment to therapy are essential. This approach is also relevant in broader settings, including aspects of child psychology service, where early experiences may influence later emotional development.

Two Clinical Vignettes

In the first example, the practitioner was working with a client with a history of addiction that disrupted a previous attempt at attending college. The client felt overwhelmed with anxiety about continuing their education.

Client: “I dreamt I was on a train and placed my suitcase in the overhead compartment, but it was stolen…”

Therapist: “Are you in over your head?”

Client: (looking confused) “Oh my God, actually it wasn’t stolen—I lost it!”

Outcome: The client made a sudden and empowering discovery: because he had “lost it” during his previous attempt, he now had the ability to create a different outcome.

This example demonstrates how close attention to speech can reveal meaningful insights within the therapeutic setting.

In the second example, two slips of the tongue were significant. In the first session, the client said she had built herself up for “this appointment,” and the therapist interpreted this as “disappointment.”

In the second instance, the client corrected herself when she said: “My a-parents are letting me down,” intending to say “appearance.”

Exploring these slips led to a series of associations, ultimately helping the client articulate her underlying disappointment with her parents.

Conditions We Treat

Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy helps individuals explore unconscious patterns, emotions, and past experiences that may be influencing their current wellbeing. At City Therapy, this approach can support people facing a range of emotional and psychological challenges.

This therapy can help with:

• Anxiety and Stress– understanding the deeper emotional factors behind persistent worry.
• Depression and Low Mood– exploring underlying feelings that may contribute to emotional distress.
• Relationship Difficulties– identifying recurring patterns in personal and professional relationships.
• Low Self-Esteem– gaining insight into experiences that affect confidence and self-worth.
• Emotional Challenges– working through unresolved feelings and internal conflicts.

 
Through greater self-awareness and understanding, psychoanalytic psychotherapy can help create lasting emotional change and personal growth.

When To See A Therapist

If you find yourself struggling with recurring emotional difficulties, relationship challenges, anxiety, or low mood that seem connected to deeper patterns in your life, it may be helpful to speak with a therapist. Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy can help you explore unconscious thoughts and past experiences, leading to greater self-understanding and long-term emotional growth.

Frequently Asked Questions