ignacio adriasola

psychoanalysis 101

Psychoanalysis can seem daunting or unfamiliar to many. On this page, I provide a simple Q&A on some introductory topics.

What is psychoanalysis?

Psychoanalysis is a practice of interpretation that illuminates how repressed thoughts, memories and feelings inform our daily lives. 

Sigmund Freud once defined psychoanalysis as the working-through of resistance through transference. The person who speaks, the analysand, is the one doing the work. 

Resistances are the unconscious ways individuals protect themselves from the intrusions of reality—those things and events that destabilize or disrupt the order in our world, causing us unpleasure. 

Transference is the name Freud gave to the very special relationship that is established in psychoanalysis between an analysand and her analyst. 

As a clinical practice, psychoanalysis involves talking, and deep, attentive listening. Psychoanalysis operates mostly through the analysand’s speech, in a situation where she can say whatever she thinks or feels. This liberated speech is the raw material of analysis. In analysis, we come to terms with what is revealed in the process: we learn how the unconscious shapes us, and how to live with the symptom.

Is psychoanalysis “therapy”?

While it is common to refer to it as the “talking cure,” psychoanalysis is not therapy. 

Although the liberation of speech arguably has a soothing, therapeutic effect, Lacanian psychoanalysis in particular does not aim to “cure” individuals, if by this we mean restoring them to an imaginary state of wholeness. 

Neither is it counselling nor coaching. Psychoanalysts usually do not suggest a path forward, offer reassurance, or quick solutions or shortcuts…. An analyst will often meet such demands with silence! In fact, the analysand’s demands for direction provide more material for analysis.

Who is psychoanalysis for?

People seek psychoanalysis for a range of different reasons.

Typically, people arrive to psychoanalysis seeking to explore and understand difficulties they experience in daily life. Examples include issues with family or work, feelings of stress, fatigue or “burn-out”, difficulties related to love and sexuality, or bereavement. 

Although in common speech we have a tendency to describe these experiences and their effects on us by using medicalized terms, such as “depression,” “anxiety,” or “addiction,” the reality is that even when we think there is a word for how we feel, we often do not fully know what is actually going on. Not being able to articulate what these sensations are, nor where they come from, can be painful, disorienting and make us feel helpless. 

Psychoanalysis offers an opportunity to explore these feelings, their sources, and to come to terms with what Lacan called “the pain of life,” which is part and parcel of being human. So, in this sense, psychoanalysis is indeed for everyone, as everyone experiences challenges at some point in their lives.

At the same time, there are exceptions. For example, if you are looking for a quick fix to a “problem”, you will probably be disappointed! Psychoanalysis is an open-ended exploratory process, and it takes time to go through it. There are no guarantees on what you will find at the end. 

How long does it take, and what is the outcome?

Some people undergo psychoanalysis for a few months, to address one specific issue, and will discontinue treatment once they feel they have sufficiently explored it. Others stay on for years, even decades, as they continue their work. Ultimately, it is up to the analysand.

Similarly, there is no singular outcome. Psychoanalysis does not offer ready-made solutions, and as Jacques-Alain Miller notes, the treatment is always “bespoke.” There are no two psychoanalyses that look alike. And there are no guarantees.

What can I expect?

If you are interested in pursuing psychoanalysis, please get in touch via the online form or by email. I will call you back to explore a possible time for a first appointment.

At the first meeting, we will discuss the basic parameters, including frequency of consultation and a fee, which is set on a sliding scale.

This is followed by what we call “preliminary interviews,” that are in fact not preliminary! Our work begins immediately.

There is no need of previous knowledge of the theory in order to begin. Some concepts may or may not be introduced throughout the course of analysis, but this will really depend on the individual. 

Lacanians like to say there is a first and a second beginning of psychoanalysis. The first, is what happens when the analysand comes in through the door. The second moment arrives with the establishment of transference and the articulation in the session of an individual question. This does not happen immediately. Lacan often repeated that one “needs time” («faut le temps», “Radiophonie,” AE, 426). Your patience and constancy will be rewarded.