# Psychoanalyst



## totalloner (Jan 29, 2013)

I've been to a counsellor several times. Think I received mainly CBT from him. But since I started studying Psychology at Uni., I am curious now about seeing a psychoanalyst. Come to think of it, the counsellors I saw before were more likely to dominate the conversation than let me talk. Psychoanalysts (therapists) let you talk about anything and are esepcially interested in your childhood? Guess I'd like to increase my awareness of what makes me tick. What lies at the bottom of that dark abyss called the unconscious. 
Am I too vain? Too self-absorbed?


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## AbsenceOfSound (Nov 29, 2011)

No, I don't think so. I've done a lot of research on different types of psychotherapy out of curiosity, and I think it would be interesting just to try psychoanalysis. I have heard you usually have to go multiple times every week, though .... I feel like it would be a really time-consuming process.


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## Monroee (Aug 26, 2009)

I saw one. I didn't like it. It was _too_ focused on my childhood, and also too focused on my relationship with my father (why exclude other family members and/or friendships? I don't get it, obviously super-freudian). There really wasn't that much that happened in my childhood. The stuff that effected me deeply occurred more during my teenage years, which he didn't talk about. I had to struggle to pull out something that happened in my childhood that could have influenced my SA. I mentioned in 3rd grade I was jealous of another girls fancy coat and felt self-conscious that I didn't have one. We _actually_ talked about that. Seriously, me being jealous of a 3rd graders coat trumps the importance of being treated badly in HS and my actual interactions with people during a crucial time of social acceptance? He was grasping at straws trying to relate my issues to childhood. We ended up discussing the same crap over and over, going nowhere.

Although it was supposed to be a "free-talking" experience, he still pulled me back to childhood. I remember I tried to talk about something that was happening currently, and I wanted advice about it. Instead of giving me advice, he went, "weeeell, it could be related to what happened when you were 5 yrs old when..." I left the appointment with no advice on the situation I was struggling with.

It might be worth it if you have a lot of issues that stem from childhood, but for me personally, it was an extreme waste of time and money. _Especially_ money, he didn't accept insurance and was very expensive..


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## totalloner (Jan 29, 2013)

^
sorry to hear that.
Maybe not all psychoanalysts are the same. I hope anyway.


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## PaxBritannica (Dec 10, 2012)

You'd need to pay to see a psychoanalyst, they are very expensive I think, in the UK they're not available on the National Health (if you are from UK) only privately. I'd love to see one it would be interesting


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## banana09 (Mar 22, 2013)

I think that's be incredibly interesting. I met a friend in preschool and she bullied and controlled me until I was through high school. It was a nightmare. Completely screwed up my perception of what a friend was supposed to be. It would be interesting (and incredibly helpful) to delve deeper into that history.


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## Squirrelevant (Jul 27, 2008)

I personally don't think psychoanalysis would be a great therapeutic option. If you do go through with it, I'd just be cautious of a therapist that asks leading questions, or tries to steer you towards beliefs about yourself that conform to their agenda (as Monroee described). Also keep in mind that the act of remembering the past is not a passive process. You alter your own memories as you recall them. I think that can be pretty dangerous in a setting in which emotionally charged issues are being dredged up. The last thing you want is to leave with more issues than when you arrived.


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## Pam (Feb 14, 2009)

Personally, I'm one of those people who you would NEVER understand if you DON"T look into my childhood. 

You could see a therapist who is "psychodynamically" oriented or is an "object relations" therapist rather than "psychoanalytic". They still delve deep, but are more flexible I think. They can help you make connections and see your patterns, and from that, you night be able to change some things, have insights, and act and feel differently, etc.


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## yelda (Jun 12, 2010)

I think you dont need a psychoanalist but a passive therapist.
you need a therapist who knows how to listen very well.
not necessarily a psychoanalist.
I also dont like active therapists.
but I never prefer a psychoanalist.
every therapist is quite different. 
you can find the one you like by trial and error.


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## totalloner (Jan 29, 2013)

pointy said:


> I personally don't think psychoanalysis would be a great therapeutic option. If you do go through with it, I'd just be cautious of a therapist that asks leading questions, or tries to steer you towards beliefs about yourself that conform to their agenda (as Monroee described). Also keep in mind that the act of remembering the past is not a passive process. You alter your own memories as you recall them. I think that can be pretty dangerous in a setting in which emotionally charged issues are being dredged up.* The last thing you want is to leave with more issues than when you arrived.*


Good point.



Pam said:


> *Personally, I'm one of those people who you would NEVER understand if you DON"T look into my childhood. *
> 
> You could see a therapist who is "psychodynamically" oriented or is an "object relations" therapist rather than "psychoanalytic". They still delve deep, but are more flexible I think. They can help you make connections and see your patterns, and from that, you night be able to change some things, have insights, and act and feel differently, etc.


Interesting post. Just studying "object relations" at Uni now. My best approach would be to just do it for fun. Not take what they say too seriously.


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