Psychoanalysis is a branch of psychology invented by Sigmund Freud at the end of the 19^th century that still thrives today – though it is much changed by more than 100 years of practice and scholarship. Today, psychoanalysis is not the caricatured, New Yorker cartoon image of the stiff analyst clutching his clipboard behind the prone patient’s back. The scene this conjures is funny, but also unwelcoming and ridiculous.  

Modern psychoanalysis is quite different; it is centered on the relationship between two people – the patient and the analyst – and seeks to use this relationship to explore the inner life of the patient. It is an experience of profound immersion together. Psychoanalysis is deeply collaborative; we are joined by the common goal of deeply, intensively exploring your thoughts, experiences, needs, desires and history. We create space for connection and understanding that can help you transform your life and overcome conflict and pain.

The main difference between “psychotherapy” and “psychoanalysis” is the frequency of sessions. While this may seem like a superficial difference, it is not. Meeting as frequently as possible creates the immersive environment which gives patients and their analysts the best possible opportunity to understand what’s going on in the treatment room and outside of it so that together we find openings for change. This isn’t to say once-weekly treatment is insufficient; it is deeply powerful. But it is true that if meetings can happen more frequently, there is greater opportunity for establishing the continuity, intensity and connection that enable the therapeutic process to deepen and hasten.