Psychoanalysis Therapy

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Psychoanalysis was founded in the late 19th century by Austrian scholar Sigmund Freud. Initially, Freud conducted physiological research and even developed a method for staining nerve tissues, but later abandoned the psycho-physiological approach in his psychological work. In the early stages of psychoanalysis, Freud, along with Josef Breuer, developed the cathartic method for treating neuroses, later termed 'abreaction.' The pivotal moment for psychoanalysis came on July 24, 1895, when Freud had a dream that led him to conclude that dreams carry symbolic meaning and serve as messages from the unconscious, which can be rationally analyzed and interpreted. This insight led to the development of the free association method. Psychoanalytic techniques are based on analyzing free associations, transference, and resistance, as well as interpretation and processing techniques. The primary goal of a psychoanalyst is to help the patient break free from hidden mechanisms that create psychological conflicts—namely, habitual patterns that hinder the fulfillment of desires or adaptation to society.

Леся Николаевна Яковлева

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Psychoanalytic therapy is a process that helps individuals recognize and resolve deep-seated psychological issues by uncovering the influence of their inner world on self-perception and relationships. Unlike many other therapeutic approaches, psychoanalysis focuses on profound personality change, taking into account stages of emotional development. The method explores aspects of the psyche that typically lie beyond conscious awareness but may become accessible under certain conditions. Psychoanalytic therapy employs a well-developed diagnostic framework to tailor an individualized approach for each client. It is effective for those struggling with anhedonia, loneliness, sadness, depression, loss, grief, fear, insecurity, or confusion, as well as for individuals seeking deeper self-understanding, improved relationships, or personal growth.

Дмитрий Сергеевич Демидов

Psychoanalysis emerged in the early 20th century through the pioneering work of the renowned Austrian psychiatrist and psychologist Sigmund Freud, who demonstrated that our conscious mind is only a small part of our personality. Our daily lives are profoundly shaped by the unconscious—our hidden, socially unacceptable desires that seek to surface. However, this is countered by our mental censorship (parental and societal prohibitions), and it is at the intersection of this conflict that various psychological traumas, neuroses, phobias, and other issues arise.

Psychoanalysis is a personality-oriented approach, meaning the analyst is less concerned with diagnoses or symptoms and more focused on the patient’s entire personality. Through psychoanalysis, individuals gain self-awareness and insight into their unconscious—key to transforming psychological patterns, overcoming anxiety, and facing fears. Yet, meaningful change requires an object of projection: the analyst, onto whom we transfer our emotions. Without this, we cannot truly grasp the deeper aspects of our being.

While psychoanalysis is a method of exploring the mind, psychoanalytic therapy applies these principles clinically. Patients often notice improvements in their relationships with others, finding them more fulfilling and appropriate. Life becomes richer, and people begin to live more fully. New successes emerge in work, personal life, and creativity.

Oleksandr Serhiiovych Nechaiev

Psychoanalysis is both a theory and a method for exploring mental processes. Its hallmark is enabling the most objective observation of human behavior, their experiences of interacting with the world, and their relationship with the psychoanalyst. Psychoanalysis uncovers subjective truths embedded in an individual’s life story, family ties, origins, and the histories and fantasies tied to them. The psychoanalyst focuses on the client’s desires, dreams, and goals, revealing the truth of their existence. It helps people understand what is happening, why it is happening, and find their own way forward. Ultimately, psychoanalysis paves the way for self-discovery and deep exploration of one’s inner world.

Marianna Mozhova

Every symptom, suffering, or desire has a hidden cause. In the unconscious, the desire is encoded, and the analyst works with the analysand to decode it.
Every person has a conscious and an unconscious realm in their mind or soul. Everyone has desires that may be considered reprehensible, dangerous, or aggressive. Unacceptable thoughts are repressed into the unconscious and become inaccessible to conscious processing. They exist on their own and exert their pathogenic effects—causing unconscious feelings of guilt, shame, fear, or inhibition. A part of the personality seems lost, and energy is wasted on keeping these thoughts out of consciousness. The analyst and analysand work together to make unconscious thoughts accessible to conscious processing.
The unconscious is not what you think. It is what you say. Since it is highly subjective and always defined in relation to another person, who can act as a model, helper, or opponent. This is where the psychoanalyst comes into play, in whose presence the unconscious reveals itself.
During a session, the analysand speaks about what they know—their difficulties or sufferings—but at the same time, they also express what they do not know about themselves. The unconscious manifests itself in discourse, speech, and slips of the tongue, and only in the presence of another. Over the course of the work, the analysand becomes closer to themselves, understands, and accepts their desires.

Olena Slobodianiuk

The best way to truly grasp how psychoanalysis works is through personal experience. No theoretical explanation can capture the uniqueness of your future journey, as each psychoanalytic process unfolds uniquely between analyst and patient, shaped by its own emotional and meaningful depth. Over time, your understanding will deepen—this is a natural progression toward greater alignment with reality.

Volodymyr Kazantsev