PSYCHOANALYSIS (PA)

Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by the Austrian psychotherapist Sigmund Freud (Freud), which has become one of the extremely influential methods of treating mental disorders based on this theory. Psychoanalysis was expanded, criticized and developed in various directions, mainly by former colleagues and students of Freud, such as A. Adler and C.G. Jung, who subsequently developed their own schools of analytical and individual psychology, which together with psychoanalysis constituted the so-called Depth Psychology. PA ideas were later developed by neo-Freudians such as Erich Fromm, Karen Horney, Harry Stack Sullivan, and Jacques Lacan. A huge contribution to PA was made by the works of W. Reich, Anna Freud, M. Klein, D. Winnicott, H. Kohut and other psychoanalysts.

PA has been around for over a hundred years. During this time it has undergone enormous evolution both in theory and in practice. The classical theory put forward by Z. Freud has been reinterpreted many times. New directions began to emerge within psychoanalysis: Ego psychology, the tradition of object relations, the school of M. Klein, structural psychoanalysis of J. Lacan, I-psychology of H. Kohut (psychology of the Self). A lot has changed in views on the development process. On the one hand, more attention began to be paid to the early stages of development: the emphasis shifted from the Oedipal to the pre-Oedipal period. On the other hand, in contrast to the classical theory, which paid great attention to drives, modern psychoanalytic theories began to take into account other factors: the development of object relations, the development of the self, etc. In addition, the model of intrapsychic conflict was supplemented and enriched by the deficit model. It is now generally accepted that unsuccessful, traumatic passage of the early stages of development, a violation of object relations in the mother-child dyad leads to the formation of a deficit in mental life.

Changing views on the process of mental development led to a revision of psychoanalytic technique. For example, thanks to the work of ego psychologists who developed the theory of defense mechanisms, an important technical principle of analysis from the surface to the depth was formulated. The shift of interpretive activity from the pole of drives to the protective pole of intrapsychic conflict made it possible to make the psychoanalytic technique of working with resistance more flexible and less painful for patients. As a result of the development of object relations theory and the revision of the theory of narcissism by self psychology, great changes have occurred in the understanding of transference and countertransference, which has made it possible to significantly expand the range of patients who can now benefit from psychoanalytic treatment.

PA has long become an integral part of modern culture. It is not only a method of psychotherapy, but also a rather rich theoretical and literary tradition, with which the Russian-speaking reader interested in the problems of depth psychology and psychotherapy is still little familiar. For several decades, we were cut off from world psychoanalytic thought, despite the fact that at the beginning of the century psychoanalysis in our country had great prospects (this was evidenced by the fact that almost a third of the members of the International Psychoanalytic Association spoke Russian). The Russian PA had quite a lot of potential both in the clinical and theoretical areas. In Russia at that time there was a developed psychiatry, which could become the basis for clinical psychoanalysis. If we talk about theory, the contribution of Russian psychoanalysts can be illustrated by the fact that, largely thanks to the work of Sabina Spielrein, “Destruction as the Cause of Becoming,” 3 Freud proposed a new look at the theory of drives.

But, having received rapid development in the 10-20s of the 20th century, the PA in our country was then destroyed. Only in the last twenty years has it come out of hiding and the slow process of restoration began. In the early 90s, the main works of 3 Freud were republished in huge editions. Later, the domestic reader was able to get acquainted with other, more modern psychoanalytic texts. But in our country they still know little about what has happened to PA over the last century. Books that are translated and published in Russian are just fragments of a mirror that reflects the history of psychoanalytic thought. Unfortunately, for now, the works of many outstanding theorists and practitioners of psychoanalysis, such as R. Fairbairn, M. Balint, V. Bion, M. Maller, Fawkes and many others, are still awaiting publication.

The main provisions of the Modern PA are still based on the classical PA:

• human behavior, experience and cognition are largely determined by internal and irrational drives;
• these drives are predominantly unconscious;
• attempts to understand these drives lead to psychological resistance in the form of defense mechanisms;
• in addition to personality structure, individual development is determined by early childhood events;
• conflicts between the conscious perception of reality and unconscious (repressed) material can lead to mental disorders such as neurosis, neurotic character traits, fear, depression, and so on;
• liberation from the influence of unconscious material can be achieved through its awareness

Modern psychoanalysis in a broad sense includes more than 20 concepts of human mental development. Approaches to psychoanalytic therapeutic treatment vary as much as the theories themselves.

Classical Freudian psychoanalysis refers to a specific type of therapy in which the "analysand" (analytic patient) verbalizes thoughts, including free associations, fantasies and dreams, from which the analyst attempts to infer and interpret the unconscious conflicts that are the causes of the patient's symptoms and character problems for the patient, to find a way to resolve problems. The specificity of psychoanalytic interventions usually includes confrontation and clarification of the patient’s pathological defenses and desires.

The main method of PA is the method of free associations, the main subject of study is the unconscious.

It was S. Freud who developed two models (topics) of the psyche, which became the basis for all types of psychotherapy. The first topic is consciousness-preconscious-unconscious.

Second topic - Super Ego - I - It or Super Ego - Ego - Id

The first topic of S. Freud

Historians of psychoanalysis, whether psychoanalysts or other psychologists, point out that during the long period of development of psychoanalysis, Freud used a topographical model of personality organization. According to this model of personality psychology, three levels can be distinguished in mental life: consciousness, preconscious and unconscious. Considering them in unity, Freud, as a psychologist and psychotherapist, used this “mental map” to show the degree of awareness of such mental phenomena as thoughts, dreams, fantasies and to reveal the essence of such phenomena as neurosis, depression, fear - the results of stress or deviations in development requiring psychological assistance - professional consultation with a psychologist and psychotherapy.

Second topic of Z. Freud

Later, S. Freud introduced three main structures into the anatomy of personality: Id, Ego and Super-Ego (in the English translations of Freud and the English-language PA, the Latin equivalents of these terms are used - Id, Ego and Superego). This tripartite division of personality is known as structural model mental life, although Freud believed that these components should be considered more as certain processes than as special “structures” of the personality. Freud understood that the constructs he proposed were hypothetical, since the level of development of neuroanatomy at that time was not sufficient to determine their localization in the central nervous system. The sphere of the It is completely unconscious, while the Ego and the Super-Ego operate on all three levels of consciousness. Consciousness covers all three personal structures, although the main part of it is formed by impulses emanating from the Id. Freud viewed the id as an intermediary between somatic and mental processes in the body. He wrote that It is “directly connected with somatic processes, stems from instinctive needs and gives them psychic expression, but we cannot say in what substrate this connection is realized.” It acts as a reservoir for all primitive instinctual impulses and draws its energy directly from bodily processes. It is subordinate the pleasure principle. Unlike the id, whose nature is expressed in the search for pleasure, the ego obeys reality principle, the purpose of which is to preserve the integrity of the body by delaying the gratification of instincts until the moment when the opportunity to achieve discharge in a suitable way is found and/or appropriate conditions are found in the external environment. The reality principle enables the individual to inhibit, redirect or gradually release the raw energy of the Id within the framework of social restrictions and the individual's conscience. In order for a person to function effectively in society, he must have a system of values, norms and ethics that are reasonably compatible with those accepted in his surroundings. All this is acquired through the process of “socialization”; in the language of the structural model of psychoanalysis - through the formation of the Super-I. Freud divided the Superego into two subsystems - the ideal ego and conscience.

Currently, the theory of psychoanalysis is used in two aspects CLINICAL PSYCHOANALYSIS And APPLIED PSYCHOANALYSIS.

APPLIED PSYCHOANALYSIS

APPLIED PSYCHOANALYSIS - the use of psychoanalytic ideas and concepts in various areas of theoretical knowledge and practical action of people. It is customary to distinguish between clinical psychoanalysis, which deals with mental illness and involves appropriate work with patients, and applied psychoanalysis. The latter is usually associated with the use of psychoanalytic ideas and concepts in the fields of philosophy, sociology, economics, politics, pedagogy, religion, art, including the study of various manifestations of the individual and collective unconscious, biographies of scientists, politicians, writers, artists.

The emergence of applied psychoanalysis is based on the research activities of S. Freud. Already at the initial stages of the formation and development of psychoanalysis as such, the ideas he put forward about unconscious human activity were reflected not only in clinical practice, but also in the interpretation of works of art. Thus, the letters to the Berlin doctor W. Fliess, written by S. Freud in the 90s of the 19th century, contain reflections related to the unique interpretation of such world masterpieces as “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles and “Hamlet” by Shakespeare, which received further development in his first fundamental psychoanalytic work, “The Interpretation of Dreams” (1900) and in his subsequent works. Subsequently, he paid considerable attention to the psychoanalytic understanding of wit, primitive religion, art, and culture in general, which was the subject of a number of works that marked the beginning of the development of what is now commonly called applied psychoanalysis. These include works such as “Wit and Its Relation to the Unconscious” (1905), “The Artist and Fantasy” (1905), “Delusions and Dreams in J. Jensen’s Gradiva” (1907), “Memoirs of Leonardo da Vinci about early childhood" (1910), "Totem and Taboo" (1913), "The Future of an Illusion" (1927), "Dostoevsky and Parricide" (1928), "Discontent with Culture" (1930), "Moses the Man and Monotheistic Religion" (1938), etc. As S. Freud emphasized, the purpose of this kind of research is to clarify, from the standpoint of psychoanalysis, “the connection between external events and human reactions to them through the activity of drives.”

Many followers of S. Freud began to use psychoanalytic ideas and concepts in biographical (pathographic) research, in understanding the history of the formation and development of culture, political and social structure, which contributed to the establishment of applied psychoanalysis as a specific activity that goes beyond the scope of clinical analysis and medicine. Thus, in modern psychoanalytic literature, a division into clinical and applied psychoanalysis has been established.

However, it should be borne in mind that S. Freud himself considered this division of psychoanalysis into clinical and applied to be incorrect. In his work “The Problem of Amateur Analysis” (1926), he drew attention to the fact that “in reality, the boundary lies between scientific psychoanalysis and its application (in medical and non-medical fields).” In this sense, clinical psychoanalysis is also applied, based on the use of psychoanalytic ideas and concepts in the process of therapeutic activity.

CLINICAL PSYCHOANALYSIS (PA)

Clinical PA refers to a psychodynamic approach to therapy and in practice was originally used to treat hysteria. PA has changed significantly since the time of Freud, so in the future we will call it WITH MODERN PSYCHOANALYSIS or just PA.
According to S. Freud's definition, “any treatment based on the understanding and application of the concepts of transference and resistance can be called psychoanalytic.” The modern definition of psychoanalysis is similar. Psychoanalytic therapy is a therapy that recognizes the existence of unconscious mental processes, that studies the motives of human behavior and development, and that uses the concepts of resistance and transference. The setting of therapy itself has also changed. In Freud's time, PA was carried out 5-6 times a week. Now it is customary to call PA therapy with such a frequency of meetings, if the setting is one or two meetings during the week, then this type of mental assistance is called psychoanalytically oriented therapy or psychoanalytically oriented therapy, which, however, does not imply its therapeutic effect.
Key concepts of clinical psychoanalysis (e.g., therapeutic relationship, transference, countertransference, resistance, insight, defense mechanisms) and rules of the game (e.g., inviting the patient to freely associate and recount dream material, focusing on here-and-now interaction, the analyst's proposal to the client - lie down on the couch, all this has been used by modern psychoanalysis since the time of Freud.

INDICATIONS FOR PSYCHOANALYTIC THERAPY.

Various forms of hysteria; - anxiety neuroses; - phobias; - neurotic depression; - psychosomatic disorders; - dysthymia; - obsessive-compulsive disorders; - conversion disorders; - affective disorders; - personality disorders from mild to moderate severity; - autonomic functional disorders with an established mental etiology; - mental disorders caused by emotional deficits in early childhood; - mental disorders resulting from extreme situations.

FOR WHOM PSYCHOANALYSIS IS CONTRAINDICATED.

Psychoanalysis cannot help a person who does not want to change.

"Everyone insults me!"

Even when we are truly surrounded by bad people and they cause us suffering, we often unknowingly contribute to continuing to remain in this situation, or even to provoke it. When a person is sure that the causes of all his troubles lie in someone else, it is very difficult to help him. After all, if nothing depends on you, then you can’t change anything.

The mechanism of change in the process of psychoanalytic therapy is as follows: a person begins to become more aware of his feelings and see how they influence his behavior, decisions made, and how they determine his life strategies. Then he can change his behavior in certain situations or his attitude towards certain people or things. To benefit from psychoanalysis or psychoanalytic therapy, it is not enough to want others to change. Only you can change.

"You need treatment!"

You also cannot force someone to undergo psychoanalysis. The great therapeutic potential of this method lies in the cooperation between analyst and client, based on trust and respect. But it is impossible to trust, respect and cooperate in a relationship that you have been forced into.

If you think that one of your loved ones needs the help of a psychoanalyst, you can offer him a specialist, show him the possibilities, and support his decision. But don't force it. A person who is forced to go to a psychoanalyst will resist cooperation, and will rather find that he will not be helped than benefit.

In psychoanalysis it is impossible to get everything at once.

Changes: Quickly! Effective! For life! Choose any TWO options

If your main priority is very rapid change, and its depth and stability are secondary for you, then psychoanalysis is probably not the most effective method for achieving your goals.

Some psychoanalysts may offer you focused short-term therapy that can solve specific problems. This makes sense when the problems are not very serious and exist in one specific area. If there are a number of problems affecting different areas of life, or if one of your goals is to get to know yourself better, then longer-term work is effective.

Psychoanalysis is a depth psychological method, i.e. deals with the unconscious layers of the human psyche. Its advantage is the ability to change a person’s life on a very deep level, helping him to realize what is hidden not only from prying eyes, but even from himself.

Psychoanalytic therapy is like diving into the depths of the ocean. This process should not be infinitely long, but it should have such a pace that the body adapts to what is happening and does not get injured. In psychoanalysis, the pace of progress also largely depends on the capabilities and needs of the client’s psyche.

Along with the desire to get rid of suffering and achieve positive changes, resistance to change is inherent in the psyche of any person. Overcoming this resistance non-traumatically takes time.

Psychoanalysis is difficult for people who are unable to talk about their feelings.

“When you don’t know words, there’s no way to get to know people.” (Confucius).

Psychoanalysis is a conversational method of psychotherapy, i.e. therapy happens through conversation. For a small child, learning to understand speech and speak is an opportunity to move to a qualitatively new level of understanding of oneself, relationships with people around them and the world. For an adult, talking about your feelings and finding names for your states is an opportunity for much greater expression and understanding of yourself.

Therefore, in psychoanalysis it is important for the client to talk about what comes to his mind. The famous French psychoanalyst J. Lacan said that the unconscious is structured like a language. Thus, conversation opens the way in psychoanalysis to understanding the unconscious.

If a conversation is impossible for some reason, or a person experiences strong negative feelings when it comes to talking about himself, it makes sense to turn to other methods of psychotherapy (for example, art therapy, dance therapy, psychodrama, etc.)

Sometimes you don't need psychoanalysis

There are life situations in which a person truly needs help, but this is not psychoanalysis. What are these situations?

• Newly experienced mental and physical trauma, as well as situations of acute grief.

What is most needed here is psychological support from loved ones. If this is not enough, you can connect a specialist who will provide crisis assistance. Sometimes it also makes sense not to refuse short-term pharmacological assistance, which allows you to alleviate the excessive stress on the psyche.

• Drug or severe alcohol addiction

In these cases, the person certainly has psychological problems and needs help. But in these conditions, tangible chemical dependence also plays a significant role. This must be understood and adequate measures taken to combat it. Narcologists specialize in this.

Programs built on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous (12 steps) are recognized as the most effective method of coping with these addictions.

• serious mental illness (psychosis, schizophrenia)

For people suffering from severe mental illnesses, modern pharmacology provides the opportunity to be in remission. It is very important that a person with a psychiatric diagnosis is in constant contact with an experienced psychiatrist who can select pharmacological therapy that is appropriate for the condition.

Psychological help in this case is also very important, but such help alone is not enough.

A good psychoanalyst is interested in ensuring that the client who turns to him receives the most effective help. The specialist will select the most suitable approach for you or recommend an appropriate specialist.

If you have hesitations and doubts about psychoanalysis, you can seek the advice of a psychoanalyst, who can help you decide for or against.

Academic psychology and psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis developed primarily outside the mainstream of academic psychology. This situation persisted for a long time. American academic psychology did not accept psychoanalytic doctrine. An unsigned editorial in the Journal of Anomalous Psychology in 1924 expressed apparent irritation with this "endless stream of work on the unconscious by European psychologists." They were barely mentioned in this article as completely unworthy of attention.

It is clear that in such a situation very few psychoanalytic works received publication in professional publications. Such discrimination continued for at least 20 years. Many academic psychologists have vehemently criticized psychoanalysis. In 1916, Christina Ladd-Franklin wrote that psychoanalysis was the product of the "underdeveloped... Germanic mind." It should be noted that this judgment was made at a time when everything German was perceived with great suspicion against the backdrop of German aggression in the First World War.

Robert Woodworth of Columbia University called psychoanalysis a “horrible religion” that leads even sane people to completely absurd conclusions. John B. Watson generally defined the Freudian position as shamanism, voodoo. Despite all the caustic attacks on psychoanalysis by leaders in academic psychology and its treatment as just another “crazy” theory, some Freudian ideas made their way into American psychology textbooks in the early 1920s. The problem of psychological defense mechanisms, as well as the explicit and hidden (latent) content of dreams, has been quite seriously discussed in psychological circles. However, since behaviorism remained by far the dominant school, psychoanalysis as a whole was simply ignored.

Psychology of psychoanalysis

However, in the 30s and 40s, psychoanalysis became unexpectedly widespread among the public. The combination of sex, violence and ulterior motives, as well as the promise of a cure for a wide variety of emotional disorders, is very attractive, almost irresistible. Official psychology is furious because, from its point of view, people can confuse psychoanalysis and psychology, believing that they are doing the same thing. Official psychologists were disgusted by the very idea that someone might think that sex, dreams and neurotic behavior are all that psychology deals with. “During the 1930s, it became clear to many psychologists that psychoanalysis was not just another crazy idea, but a serious competitor that threatened the very foundations of scientific psychology, at least in the minds of the general reading public.”

In order to cope with this threat, psychologists decided to test psychoanalysis to ensure that it meets strict scientific criteria. They conducted "hundreds of studies whose ingenuity was rivaled only by the futility of the results." This flurry of research, although mostly poorly executed, has proven that psychoanalysis is significantly behind the level of experimental psychology, at least from the point of view of the adherents of experimental psychology themselves. As a result, this allowed them to once again take the position of “arbiters and guardians of psychological truth.” In addition, these studies showed that academic psychology can also be of interest to the general public, since it deals with essentially the same issues as psychoanalysis.

In the 50s and 60s of the last century, many behaviorists were engaged in translating psychoanalytic terminology into the language of their concept. We can say that Watson himself started this trend when he defined emotions as just a set of habits, and neuroses as the result of an unfortunate combination of circumstances. Skinner also drew on Freud's idea of ​​mental defense mechanisms, describing them as a form of operant conditioning. Ultimately, psychologists adopted many of Freud's ideas, which even eventually became part of the mainstream psychological theory. Recognition of the role of unconscious processes, the importance of appealing to childhood experience, research into the action of defense mechanisms - this is a far from complete list of psychoanalytic ideas that have become widespread in modern psychology.

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From the point of view of psychoanalysis, the key to understanding a person’s mental illness should be sought in his subconscious. The use of psychoanalysis allows us to activate the unconscious and extract it from the depths of the psyche. Psychoanalysis is based on psychodynamic theories of personality, according to which an individual’s feelings and thinking are determined by internal factors, the interaction of the conscious with the unconscious.

The historical roots of psychodynamic theories of personality go back to the psychoanalysis of the Austrian scientist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939). He believed that the cause of all mental disorders was unresolved conflicts in childhood and the painful memories associated with them. According to Freud, human life, culture and creative processes are determined by primary, unconscious (especially sexual) drives. According to Freud, sexual desire disorders play a decisive role in the formation of a pathological personality. Unpleasant experiences repressed into the subconscious cause constant internal conflict, which over time leads to the development of mental or neurological disease. Taking as a basis the main provisions of Freud's theory, his student, Austrian psychiatrist Alfred Adler (1870-1937) created individual psychology, according to which the main driving forces of personality development are the desire for superiority, perfection and a sense of community.

Various forms of psychopathology and social deviations are associated with underdevelopment of a sense of community. Meanwhile, according to the Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung (Jung 1875-1961), mental disorders are caused not so much by childhood memories, but by a person’s actual well-being. The images that arise in the subconscious are innate, they are associated with evolution, the history of mankind, and social consciousness. Neopsychoanalysis relies on individual statements of Freud and develops them. The treatment process in dynamic psychotherapy has as its ultimate goal the awareness of the “unconscious”.

Therapeutic effect

There are differences and even contradictions between the directions of psychoanalysis, but in general they are quite similar. Freudian psychoanalysis tries to find the causes of illness in the unconscious through the analysis of dreams, childhood memories, and free associations. Over time, a kind of picture of a person’s subconscious is formed from individual parts, and the causes of his internal conflicts emerge. The task of the psychotherapist is to help the patient become aware of them.

An important aspect of psychoanalysis is the patient's resistance to treatment. By the nature and intensity of resistance, the doctor can understand which unconscious conflicts the patient most wants to repress into the subconscious. In order for the patient to fully open up, he must trust his psychotherapist, and a spiritual connection must be established between them. The connection between doctor and patient decreases after conflicts are recognized and resolved - then the patient is left alone with them.

The effectiveness of psychoanalysis

If depth psychotherapy is effective, then the patient overcomes his internal conflicts and can lead a normal life.

Often during treatment, the patient begins to doubt its effectiveness. However, in order to experience the beneficial effects of psychoanalysis, a lot of time must pass. Even if psychotherapy does not produce positive results at first, it should not be interrupted.

In what cases is psychoanalysis used?

Psychoanalysis is used to treat various personality disorders. It gives positive results for depression, phobias, neuroses, personality pathologies, and psychosomatic diseases.

Psychoanalytic therapy is contraindicated for children suffering from mental illness. Such children have difficulty expressing their thoughts. They don't realize that they are mentally ill. Therefore, it is recommended to use other methods to treat children, such as games that promote their self-expression.

• Who needs psychotherapy?
• A few examples
• First step
• Historical reference
• Why psychoanalysis was destroyed in Russia
• What changed
• What makes psychoanalysis unique?
• Is there a pill for the soul?
• What does practice show?
• Talking therapy
• Analysis procedure
• Patient's role
• The role of the psychoanalyst
• Analyst training
• Who can benefit from psychoanalysis?
• Analysis decision
• Analysis achievements

Who needs psychotherapy?

There is an opinion that a strong personality is one who can cope with all his psychological problems on his own. This, of course, is a deep misconception. Feeling discomfort in the stomach or intestines, we rush to the gastroenterologist, feeling a tingling in the heart - we turn to a cardiologist, etc., usually not daring to resort to self-medication, although each of us, of course, knows much more about the stomach or heart than about the psyche.

There is another misconception, widespread even among doctors, that we think with our brains. Of course, this is not so: one could just as well argue that we walk with the spinal cord. Any thought has an all-organ and whole-body representation. And often it is long-term mental discomfort that leads to disturbances in the functioning of internal organs. Figuratively speaking, a person’s soul hurts, but the stomach, heart or liver screams about this pain. And at first, neither a cardiogram, nor an x-ray or tests will show any changes.

Most do not suspect this, and do not even know that consciousness is not the whole psyche, and not even a large part of it. Beyond the limits of consciousness there is a huge and powerful mental apparatus, the activity of which under normal conditions is inaccessible to introspection. It is in this part of the psyche that negative experiences and unreacted emotions accumulate, it is here that nightmares and obsessive thoughts are produced that haunt both day and night, it is here that the mental and somatic (bodily) meet and intertwine in the most unimaginable ways. A person tries to cope with this pain of the soul on his own, but as a rule, unsuccessfully. Because here, as in any other field, you need a specialist, and one of the highest qualifications.

There are no people who don't have problems. Therefore, everyone periodically needs psychotherapy, and it is better not to wait until this or that problem becomes insurmountable, and mental pain begins to transform into a somatic illness.

A few examples

Against the background of complete health, the young girl develops persistent disturbances in the functioning of the stomach and intestines. Quite slim before this, she loses about 30% of her weight. Therapists and infectious disease specialists find neither causes nor effective treatments. And the problem that the patient could not “digest” lies not in the somatic, but in the mental sphere... A completely prosperous, non-drinking and non-smoking young man falls into depression, “suddenly” stops contacting his parents, and decides to leave the university. It seems to the parents that he hates them, and the patient himself, having agreed to come to the psychoanalyst, initially expresses the same thoughts, but in fact it turns out that this is only a reaction to the decrease in attention of the parents, who considered that the child was already old enough to could take care of themselves... The wife suspects her husband of infidelity, one quarrel follows another, the family is on the verge of collapse, and only her visit to a psychotherapist helped her understand that it was not her husband, but she herself who was producing mistrust, the deep roots of which were hidden in her parental family... A charming and beautifully built girl suffers from the conviction of her unattractiveness. He perceives any compliments addressed to him as a lie or politeness, sexual caresses as undeserved by “such an ugly person.” The reason turns out to be deeply intimate... A young promising manager of one of the banks is not having a good relationship with his employees. As a result, someone else gets the next and long-awaited promotion. Family troubles are added to this “minor” disappointment. Gradually, the problem of the collapse of all interpersonal relationships becomes more and more frightening for him... But, as in all other cases, it is solvable.

However, the path to this solution is, as a rule, neither simple nor close. And even if for a specialist the solution “lies on the surface,” the patient must come to it himself, and in his own way, in which the analyst is only an assistant and guide.

Typical words from our former patients: “I began to understand myself for the first time”... “Something happened to all of us, but, of course, the reason was in me”... “Thank you for not being afraid of all this abomination... “I first began to communicate with other people without fear, and before, I was even afraid to ask a question to a salesman in a store”... “I considered myself a moral monster, and this poisoned me all my life”... “Sex and dirt were synonymous for me, but now it’s no longer my mother’s fault , she just wanted to protect me. And I don’t hate her anymore”... “I worked through my complexes, and now I’ve become about ten times more successful - in work, in life, in love”...

First step

People need psychotherapy for a variety of reasons. Even completely healthy people. Someone wants to sort out their problems, their relationships, get rid of doubts or difficult memories. And just a friend or even a relative is not always able to help. And often their most sincere friendly advice does us a disservice.

Contacting a specialist is the first step that indicates a real desire to change something in yourself, in your life, in the life of your family or in your relationships, in your career, and this step makes this desire more concrete. The very appeal to a specialist speaks, on the one hand, about the severity of your problems, and on the other, about the level of your spiritual maturity. Psychotherapy is not for the primitive and thick-skinned, they do not feel the need for it, since many feelings, including sadness and remorse, the search for meaning and the need for understanding, are simply unfamiliar to them. Therefore, your first step will always be taken correctly, and from the first visit you can count on the most serious attitude, respect and support.

This brochure was written to introduce people to a special type of psychotherapy - psychoanalysis, a still little-known and unique therapeutic approach to people and their experiences. Only by accepting the special conditions and advantages of this approach, as well as the specific requirements that it makes, can you decide for yourself that psychoanalysis is for you.

Historical reference

Psychoanalysis arose at the dawn of the twentieth century thanks to the talent and efforts of the famous Viennese psychiatrist and psychologist Sigmund Freud, and was both a revolutionary approach to understanding many mental phenomena, explaining the nature of human feelings and experiences, and a therapeutic method to help people with a wide variety of psychological problems, starting from the problems of everyday life and ending with deep psychopathology. He helped to understand that the so-called “conscious” adult, who operates more or less successfully in “reality,” is only a part of the whole personality. Beneath his rational (logical) there is always the unconscious (illogical), and Freud was able to show what a powerful influence unconscious thoughts, feelings and desires and desires, hidden even from himself, have on the health of his patients.

The rational in each of us is subordinated to the principle of reality. It, as a rule, corresponds to social standards of behavior, and always takes a certain step at a certain time. The unconscious is subject to the always socially rejected, but nevertheless powerful principle of pleasure; it is illogical, there are no cause-and-effect relationships, no contradictions, no time. The most striking example of manifestations of the unconscious is our dreams, where we almost always encounter characters and events in real life that are incompatible and even non-existent. But, as you can see during the analysis process, such illogicality is present not only in dreams...

In the process of psychoanalysis, the patient’s unconscious becomes accessible to introspection and becomes conscious. The deeper essence of each of us is revealed and perceived, resulting in healing, relief of suffering and spiritual growth.

Why psychoanalysis was destroyed in Russia

Already at the beginning of the twentieth century, psychoanalysis gained worldwide fame. In fact, this was the first scientific method of a science that did not yet exist at that time - psychotherapy. Since 1913, it has been successfully used in Russia. In 1922, the Institute of Psychoanalysis opened in Russia. But the method of psychoanalysis itself, which initially centered on the individual, was categorically incompatible with Marxism. For Marxism was a theory in which there was absolutely no place for the individual, and even less so for the suffering individual. Therefore, for many decades, neuroses “selectively” affected only Western countries, and until recently we all lived in a sexless society of “comrades” and “comrades”, where out of the four main spheres of personal self-realization (work, creativity, communication and sex), the second and the third were significantly limited by ideology, and the latter, as a social category, was actually prohibited, and therefore, relegated to a primitive physiological act. Experiencing sexual problems, as well as communication problems (professional, domestic or family) was considered indecent. In 1924, the Institute of Psychoanalysis closed, all the works of Freud and his followers were removed from libraries - in Russian medical and psychological practice there is no longer a place for neuroses and, accordingly, psychotherapy, and more precisely, there is no place for Personality.

What changed?

At the end of the twentieth century, Russians finally gained some superficial understanding of psychoanalysis. But, paradoxically, familiarity with the now popular theory of psychosexual development of the child or with the typical symbols of psychoanalysis - the patient's couch, frank conversation without any restrictions, dream analysis and free associations - did not add to knowledge of how psychoanalysis works , or why more and more people are choosing it as their preferred method of psychotherapy.

Even if you have read some of Freud's work, seen images of analysts in films, and heard what others have said about their own “analysis,” you still do not know what actually happens during psychoanalytic sessions and will never understand it. without experiencing it. There are no standard techniques in psychoanalysis. And everything that will happen is initially determined by your individual development history, which is always unique and inimitable.

In 1991, the first Institute of Psychoanalysis in Russia opened in St. Petersburg, and only after 5 years of its existence its scientific and methodological advisory center began to function. Why it took so long for this to happen, you will understand after reading this brochure.

What makes psychoanalysis unique?

Psychoanalysis differs from other forms of psychotherapy primarily in its personal orientation or, in scientific terms, person-centricity. This means that the psychoanalyst is very little interested in always a hypothetical psychiatric diagnosis or even individual symptoms of a disease. The focus of his attention will always be your personality as a whole - both its “good” and “bad” components. Often the last component is overestimated. And then private problems, for example, painful doubts or an inescapable feeling of guilt, actually subjugate the personality. Psychoanalysis does not set as its basis the goal of simply “removing” this or that symptom, which, as practice shows, after some time may appear again in the same or another form. The main task is to establish the psychological nature of the symptom, identify its source and understand the dynamics of its development. Self-awareness and self-understanding are the two most important keys to changing your attitudes and behavior, to overcoming anxiety and fear, and to the formation of adequate behavioral stereotypes.

However, just as without a mirror we cannot see some parts of our body (for example, the nose, ears, look into our eyes), so without an analyst on whom we project our emotions and mental images, we are not allowed to discern the deep layers of our memory, turn to the essence of our secret feelings and experiences.

Any personality is determined by its history. This story can have very bright and light, but often – at the same time – both dark and even gloomy pages. Due to their education and practice, psychoanalysts know that you have never talked about much of your story with anyone at all, and if you have, then most likely you have never been listened to completely or you yourself chose not to tell everything. Something in your individual history may be so unacceptable that even you yourself cannot remember it. We will help you remember what, figuratively speaking, “is impossible to remember and impossible to forget.” We will clear these memories of the soot of unnaturalness, and you yourself will feel how much brighter the colors of the world have become, and how much cleaner and more transparent the air is.

Talking therapy

Psychoanalysis is often called “talking therapy” because the main content of regular meetings with an analyst is a conversation about all your feelings, actions, dreams, fantasies, dreams and experiences. But this is a special type of conversation, for which the analyst (that is, a specialist who already has a higher psychological or medical education) additionally prepares for at least 5-6 years. This special type of conversation assumes the absence of any cultural and social restrictions - there are no taboo topics or words at all. And at the same time, all this is accompanied by the most delicate and practically substantiated psychological interpretation. Most people have never experienced such a relationship. Therefore, many experts emphasize that the very experience of the relationship between the analyst and the patient plays a special role in the formation of a mature personality.

During the analysis, you can and should talk about everything: about your current problems and concerns, about work, about relationships with others, about your feelings, about childhood, about your parents, your dreams and fantasies (even if they seem perverted or criminal to you) , about teenage years or about what seems most important at the moment. The analyst's assistance in this somewhat one-sided conversation allows the patient to learn much more about the sources of his problems and how to change his life for the better. By talking about yourself, and without being limited in any way by time, you will learn not only to listen, but also to understand yourself. At the same time (with the help of a specialist) you will very soon become convinced that thought and speech obey different laws.

Contrary to your expectations, the psychoanalyst will not condemn you, encourage you, or absolve you of your sins. Most often, he will be far from making any value judgments at all. Its task is fundamentally different - to help you understand yourself, gradually getting rid of social cliches of thinking, painful misconceptions, internal censorship and (often less than adequate) self-criticism. It’s as if you are learning again to say everything that comes to your mind. And it is precisely this uninhibited and unrestricted spontaneous speech, sometimes characterized as “free association,” that is one of the foundations of successful analysis.

Analysis procedure

Typically, during analysis, the patient lies on the couch and the analyst sits at the head of the bed behind him. The lack of eye-to-eye contact allows a person to feel more free and speak more spontaneously; and thus he is more closely in touch with his deepest feelings and thoughts. Of course, everything that is discussed at the analyst’s appointment is kept in the strictest confidence. And even in the records kept by the analyst, you will have some other name. A psychoanalyst will never demand a report from you from a dispensary or hospital, because the diagnosis is not important to him. He will never meet your family. He will never take an interest in your place of work, and will never make inquiries about you. He doesn't need it. For him, only you as a Personality are important. He will never tell you that he is busy and cannot meet with you, because the most important thing in his profession is to meet with you and help you as much as you need.

Psychoanalysis is a safe way to reveal the deep essence of mental problems, no matter how painful it may be, and to accept this truth, which is obvious only to you. It gives you a unique opportunity to relive your personal history, take a fresh look at it and find connections between your past and conflicts in the present, while preventing them in the future. Establishing this connection will allow you to take a fresh look at any difficult situation and help you change. In fact, psychoanalysis is not a vaccination against any specific “infection”, but the development of immunity to many. Psychoanalysis is both a therapeutic and educational process. Even if there is something in your past that frightens you, once you face it you will no longer be alone and it will no longer be scary.
Is analysis always done one-on-one?

No not always. In recent years, the method of group analysis has been actively developing, when one analyst (usually in this case called a conductor) works simultaneously with a group of 7-10 people. As trust is established between group members, a specific (therapeutic) community of people is formed who strive to understand and accept each other, the ability to listen to each other and the confidence that everyone will be heard develops. At the same time, rational stereotypes of interpersonal relationships, communication standards set by the conductor are learned, and psychopathological complexes are overcome.

Analyst training

Before starting to treat people, the psychoanalyst - in addition to all other types of theoretical and practical training - undergoes his own analysis of at least 100 hours in order to work through all his problems and not bring them into his work with the patient.

Analysts are considered only those who already have a higher education, have completed at least a 4-year course of theoretical training, have a diploma from one of the state-licensed institutes of psychoanalysis and a special certificate of completion of personal analysis, as well as a certificate of specialization in the field of psychotherapy.

The importance of such preparation cannot be overestimated. It usually lasts, taking into account the personal analysis of the future analyst, for at least six years. By the time they begin working with patients, analysts are already quite mature, experienced, and well-trained professionally. Often, former patients themselves later become analysts, since this specialty involves not only a rich life experience, but also a rich emotional experience, including negative emotional experience.

Psychoanalysts may or may not be doctors. Until 1945, most analysts throughout the world received first medical and then psychoanalytic training. Today, most analysts - by their first education - are teachers, psychologists or social workers, others come to psychoanalysis from a variety of professions.

Who can benefit from psychoanalysis?

There is a stereotypical idea of ​​who exactly turns to a psychoanalyst. It is believed that these are predominantly people from the middle class or the wealthier part of society, and, as a rule, are quite intellectually developed. And this is mostly true, although this idea is gradually changing. In fact, psychoanalysis can be useful to men and women, children and adolescents belonging to a wide variety of social groups. Some analysts identify special psychological traits that contribute to the analytical process, in particular: the ability to reflect (introspection); desire to understand one's past; setting to resolve certain problems; interest in the meaning of life; the ability to address the most unpleasant and painful experiences; ability to observe; sense of humor; the desire to become happier and more successful. More often than not, no one has all of these traits at the same time. But almost everyone who turns to an analyst has a desire to learn and better understand themselves and other people, a need to change or change something in their life.

Analysis decision

When people are considering whether to start psychoanalysis, they usually, and for easily understandable reasons, want to know: how much? How much time and money will be required, and how many unpleasant feelings will have to be endured. Here are some answers to help you decide if psychoanalysis is right for you.

Time

Psychoanalysis is never limited to a specific time or course of treatment. Everything is determined by how much time it will take to re-examine all the complex (or rather, complicated) layers of your feelings, understand all the unique nuances of your individual history, and only then determine the real causes of certain personal or interpersonal problems, as well as form adequate stereotypes of their resolution. In some cases, the analysis can last several months or even years, in others – several weeks. But you should always know that you determine the duration of the analysis yourself. And when you feel that you have achieved what you wanted or have solved the questions that you posed to yourself, you can always determine with your analyst the end date of the analysis.

The duration of psychoanalysis is never predictable. You may discover side issues of great importance or obstacles that will slow down your progress. In some cases you will have to stop or even retreat. But it will always be your decision.

Psychoanalysis requires systematicity. It is most effective with two to three sessions per week, each lasting 45 to 50 minutes. This frequency of meetings contributes to the most successful work. As a rule, a psychoanalyst sees several patients every day, each of whom has a clearly defined meeting time for him, for example, 18.00-18.45; 19.00-19.45. Therefore, you will have to adapt to the restrictions associated with this - not to be late and learn to complete your regular session by a certain point, no matter how much you want to extend it.

Price

Psychoanalysis requires an investment of not only time, but also money. The cost of one psychoanalytic session does not exceed the cost of one hour of work in other types of psychotherapy, but psychoanalysis is, as a rule, a longer “procedure”, which naturally implies the need to plan your budget. In order to make psychoanalysis more accessible and provide the opportunity to verify its effectiveness to as many people as possible, specialists of the National Federation of Psychoanalysis always take into account the real capabilities of their patients, determining its cost in each specific case individually and in a fairly wide range.

Usually, the patient quickly becomes convinced that his costs are not that great; Moreover, it turns out that he spent much more money running away from problems or trying to solve them using other unproductive methods. The minimum contract with an analyst requires at least 5 sessions. Psychoanalytic counseling may consist of one to three sessions.

When deciding payment issues, you must remember that your psychoanalyst is not dealing with your problems as some kind of part-time job or hobby - he chose this profession for a long time and for a long time, has undergone quite a long and labor-intensive training, is a highly qualified specialist - and has no other sources of income except payment for his psychotherapeutic work. You will very soon see for yourself that this is really work, and I don’t remember any patients who would consider it easy.

Stress

During analysis, almost all patients note that such deep penetration into their past and present lives bothers them, sometimes making them sad, anxious or even irritated during the session or after it. We will not be frightened by your outbursts of irritation; we know how to accept and understand them.

Some are afraid to once again be captured by painful memories and feelings that once disabled them for a long time, not realizing that in fact, they have never been free from them.

Sometimes these fears are more simple: “I’m afraid that I’ll cry and won’t be able to stop”... Nothing comes easy and recovery in such an area as the psyche cannot be received as a gift from some magician or healer. This always requires working on yourself and combining your efforts with the experience and skills of a specialist. In psychoanalysis, the release of repressed feelings is one of the most important parts of the therapeutic process. But you will never be alone, and you will never be left alone with your fears or sad thoughts. Your analyst's job is to help you overcome both the first and second.

Analysis achievements

As the overwhelming majority of those who turned to an analyst and underwent analysis believe, the required investment of time and money, as well as difficult experiences, always pays off in the successes achieved.

Already in the process of analysis, people usually note that their relationships with others and professional activities become more successful. By better understanding themselves and those they encounter, people become freer. Finding a way out of external and internal conflicts, they can do what they really want, and not what circumstances force them to do, with more energy than before. They spend less time and effort resolving both the simplest issues and the most complex situations, and as a result, their every day becomes more fulfilling, and their experience of the day becomes more complete and comfortable. As a rule, they become more effective in material, family, and social terms. New successes come in creativity or career.

Those who have undergone analysis usually especially emphasize that the trusting relationship that has developed with the analyst has a specific impact on all their social, professional and family connections. They note that all their feelings have become smoother and more stable.

The purpose of psychoanalysis is to help you enrich your life, teach you to gain greater satisfaction from relationships with other people, resolve painful problems and conflicts, and make your personality more complete and joyful.

The term psychoanalysis refers to the theory of human mental life, research methods, methods of treating various neurotic disorders, the creator of which is Sigmund Freud. This theory had a huge impact on the intellectual life of mankind and its culture.

Moreover, this influence does not stop today. Psychoanalysis is a way of studying mental processes that are otherwise inaccessible. It also implies a method of treating neurotic disorders based on this study. In particular, psychoanalysis refers to a number of mental concepts that arose as a result and later developed into a separate scientific discipline.

What is psychoanalysis? As you know, many of Freud's ideas have been revised and changed, however, the main provisions are the same. What is psychoanalysis? This is the discovery that the main part of the psyche, although it has a determining influence on a person, still remains hidden for a person.

Psychoanalysis recognizes the ubiquity of unconscious conflict, as well as the understanding that when communicating with others, a person uses so-called templates taken from early childhood and transfers these situations into real life.

Psychoanalysis recognizes the central role of sexuality in mental life, and the formation of these most important aspects occurs in childhood. Psychoanalysis is used in various contexts, including art, politics, sociology, and literature.

Psychoanalysis as a method of psychological assistance is based on this opinion; a huge role is assigned to early experiences of love, loss, understanding of death, experiences of sexuality, and so on. All this contributes to the formation of an unconscious idea that affects the psyche.

This factor may be a source of conflict that blocks development. What does psychoanalysis mean, what opportunities does it provide to the patient? This is a practice during which a person is able to become aware of a number of unconscious manifestations and find an explanation for them.

Thanks to psychoanalysis, the patient is able to be more deeply understood, the unconscious forces that have formed empty relationships or resulting anxiety in his life are revealed. Psychoanalysis is aimed at correcting the structure of the psyche, and there is a focus not only on the awareness of certain symptoms, but also on their thorough elaboration.

The psychoanalyst's task is not to judge the patient, make a diagnosis or give advice. First of all, the goal is to help a person understand himself, eliminate social stereotypes, get rid of unfounded self-criticism, and all kinds of misconceptions. It is important that the patient learns to fully feel life and become internally free.

First of all, psychoanalytic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis are necessary for people who feel hopeless due to constantly emerging psychological problems that create obstacles to the realization of life goals, interfering in their personal lives and friendships.

Low moods, inhibitions and anxiety are common signs of internal conflicts. If left unaddressed, they have a significant impact on personal choices and professional decisions. Typically, the roots of such problems are located in the unconscious area, and they cannot be resolved without the use of psychotherapeutic methods.

The specialist helps the patient to understand the unconscious part of the problems in a new way. Thanks to a conversation with a psychoanalyst in a calm environment, the patient becomes aware of elements of the inner world that were previously inaccessible to him. This refers to his memories, dreams, as well as feelings and thoughts. This relieves mental pain and ensures self-awareness.

All this gives the patient confidence that his life goals will be achieved. With the positive effects of psychoanalysis, further personal growth actively develops. Moreover, this continues for a long time after psychoanalysis is completed.

What is professional psychoanalysis? Before turning to a psychotherapist, a person is forced to be alone with his problem, look for different solutions, and research. If all his efforts in this direction do not give the desired results, do not justify themselves, or even aggravate the problem, then the decision arises to seek help from a specialist.

Initially, over the course of two to four meetings, the client gets to know the psychoanalyst, and a primary study of the problem that worries the person takes place. Both parties come to an agreement on the form of work. This could be analysis or psychoanalytic therapy.

This stage implies that the analyst receives maximum information about the patient and learns his life story. This serves as the basis for deciding on further actions that will be most beneficial in each case.

If the work of a psychoanalyst begins with free associations, then at the beginning of the analysis the client visits a specialist up to five times a week. The person sits on the couch and says whatever comes to mind at the time. These are his experiences, impressions, as well as his opinion about the psychoanalyst. Together with the patient, the specialist interprets the unconscious facts that are the basis of the patient’s behavioral patterns, attitudes and actions.

Very often, the reason for turning to a psychoanalyst is depression. Having understood what psychoanalysis is, many people realize that this particular method will help them understand themselves and return to a normal rhythm of life.

Sadness, depression and deep disappointment are feelings familiar to everyone. But sometimes depression acquires intensity and extreme scope, literally consuming a person. Moreover, by turning to psychoanalysis, you can work through pain and anxiety, and increase a person’s ability to experience adversity and difficulties.