Though there are a few basic elements in psychoanalysis that are likely to be similar or the same, what a psychoanalyst can do is highly dependent on training. It’s important to note that because the term “psychoanalysis” isn’t legally protected in many places, anyone who practices therapy can claim to be a psychoanalyst. Those looking for analysts with real training should look into whether they have completed the extensive post-graduate work required in this discipline, which is usually only available in a few places in each country.
It’s also important to note that the terms psychoanalyst and therapist are not interchangeable. Psychoanalysis is based on Sigmund Freud’s tradition, which has been carried on in various directions by practitioners such as Carl Jung. People who see an analyst who specializes in either Freudian or Jungian orientation can expect very different approaches to the process when they see them. What unites them is that they both work with patients in a similar manner.
In essence, the goal of psychoanalysis is to meet with the patient frequently, sometimes almost daily, for hour-long periods of time so that the patient can use techniques like free association to reveal the unconscious self. The analyst, who has the ability to ask questions or clarify things, may occasionally direct this, but he or she also listens carefully to each client. The patient may lie on a couch facing away from the analyst, or face-to-face work with both people sitting is sometimes used. The analyst’s goal is to assist the patient, or analysand, in processing unconscious material, resulting in a deeper understanding of self and the resolution of some issues. It may take several years to complete this task.
The average psychoanalyst sees a lot of patients per week, but given the time commitment required for each one, the patient load may be much lower than that of therapists who see many of their clients once a week. Though not all patients complete treatment, it is believed that multiple meetings form a deeper relationship with each analysand. At the same time, the analyst must avoid projecting his or her feelings onto patients and work to keep his or her countertransferences, wishes, and desires from interfering with the emergence of each client’s unconscious thoughts. In general, psychoanalysis relies on the transference relationship being established, and the psychoanalyst tries not to obstruct this process.
A psychoanalyst can also write prescriptions for medications. Many people who attend professional training are doctors or psychiatrists, and as such, they can use prescribing as a method of treating biologically based disorders. This frees the client to work on issues that are simmering in the unconscious but aren’t caused by faulty neurotransmitter action or other medical issues.
Some psychoanalysts run their own practices, which means they’re in charge of scheduling appointments, billing insurance companies, and collecting money directly from clients. Others may hire an office manager to help them with this. Many people could be involved in the field in other ways besides analysis. They may conduct research, write books or articles, as well as train or supervise new analysts. A few analysts also teach or lecture and are affiliated with institutions that provide training in psychoanalytic techniques.