Psychoanalysis has its roots in the work of Sigmund Freud.

Freud recognised that we understand far less about what shapes our emotions, thoughts and behaviour than we might like to believe. We tend to experience ourselves as knowing why we feel and act as we do, yet much of what influences us lies outside conscious awareness.

He called this hidden dimension the unconscious. For Freud, the tension between what we know about ourselves and what remains unknown was a source of psychological conflict and suffering. Psychoanalysis developed as a way of exploring this dimension of the psyche: an attempt to question what we take for granted, to bring what is unconscious into speech, and to open up new possibilities for understanding and change.

At its core, psychoanalysis asks: how does the unconscious shape the way you feel, think and act? Psychoanalytic psychotherapy takes this further by asking: what might become possible if we begin to listen differently to what is happening within us?

Unlike approaches that are primarily solution-focused, psychoanalysis is not simply concerned with eliminating symptoms or achieving greater self-awareness. Knowing is not necessarily enough. We can grasp something about ourselves intellectually and still find ourselves repeating the same patterns, returning to the same relationships, or responding in ways we cannot quite explain.

Jacques Lacan built on Freud’s work with a key idea: each of us is organised around a truth that’s uniquely our own — one that psychoanalysis sets out to investigate. This truth is not fixed, waiting to be discovered. It develops and becomes knowable through speaking, in the presence of another. In this sense, truth emerges through dia-log(os)ue.

That other is a trained psychoanalyst, who invites the patient to say whatever comes to mind, including things that may seem trivial, embarrassing, contradictory or irrelevant. This process is known as free association.

In speaking freely, we may come across unexpected repetitions, slips of the tongue, contradictions, silences, dreams and turns of phrase that surprise us. These are not simply clues for the analyst to decode. They become opportunities to hear something differently in our own words — to encounter aspects of ourselves, our desires and our conflicts that may previously have been difficult to recognise.

The analyst listens closely to what is said and to how it is said, helping to create a space in which the patient can begin to listen to themselves differently. Over time, this can open up new ways of making sense of what has shaped them and, importantly, new ways of living.

Psychoanalysis therefore does not treat symptoms simply as signs of dysfunction that need to be eradicated. Instead, it approaches symptoms as phenomena that speak. A symptom may have something to tell us about the conflicts, desires or experiences from which it has emerged.

Psychoanalytic psychotherapy can, over time, contribute to greater emotional stability, more fulfilling connections with others and a deeper insight into one’s motivations and patterns. It may be helpful for people experiencing anxiety, depression, loss, trauma or relationship difficulties, as well as for those who simply want to get to know themselves and their lives more deeply.

If you would like to explore whether psychoanalytic psychotherapy might be right for you, get in touch.