Psychoanalytic therapy for adults

Psychoanalysis is a form of treatment through speaking and listening, developed from the work of Sigmund Freud. It is also a way of investigating mental life, including how unconscious processes and conflicts find expression in symptoms, relationships, dreams and choices whose reasons may be difficult to explain.

In analysis, you are invited to say what comes to mind and follow the associations that arise. This method, known as free association, can bring unexpected connections into view and open up questions about how a difficulty has developed. These connections are explored in relation to your history, current circumstances and the relationship with the analyst. Different psychoanalytic traditions have developed from Freud’s work; my own approach is informed by Jacques Lacan, one of the most influential and debated figures in psychoanalysis since Freud.

The sessions follow what you have to say. You can start with whatever is on your mind: a recent event, a relationship, a memory, a dream or a concern you have been thinking about for some time. You do not need to prepare what you will say. Associations that seem incidental can be as relevant as the account you had intended to give.

I listen to the detail of your speech: the words you choose, recurring themes, contradictions and unexpected connections. I may ask about something you have said, return to a phrase or offer an interpretation. This can open up aspects of an experience that a familiar explanation has left unexplored.

What happens between us also matters. Expectations of me, uncertainty about what to say, frustration with the work or difficulty trusting the situation can all be discussed in the sessions.

Recognising a recurring pattern can be an important moment in analysis, even when the pattern continues. We explore its place in a person’s history and relationships, and what emerges in speaking about it.

A symptom is considered in relation to the person’s particular history and circumstances. That includes when it occurs, the situations in which it becomes more pressing, and its connections with other difficulties. An existing diagnosis or previous treatment can be part of this discussion, alongside the person’s own experience.

Lacan’s work gives particular attention to language and unconscious desire. The words available to us, and the ways others have spoken to and about us, enter into how we speak about ourselves and what we expect from relationships. There can be a gap between what we think we ought to want, what we ask of others and what recurs in our actions.

In sessions, these tensions may appear in what you say: in recurring phrases, contradictions, and points where an account no longer quite holds together. Psychoanalytic ideas inform my listening; the sessions themselves concern your life and what you bring to them.

A regular appointment allows us to return to what has emerged and follow connections across sessions. The same experience may be spoken about differently as further details come to mind or its significance changes. The work can involve uncertainty as well as moments of recognition.

The frequency of meetings is considered individually in the initial consultation, during early work and as the work develops. Questions about the direction of the work, the practical commitment involved, and whether or when to end can be raised throughout. The duration depends on the person and the course of the work.

The initial consultation gives us time to discuss what has prompted you to make contact, your current circumstances and what you hope for from analysis. You can ask about my approach and the arrangements for sessions. Sometimes further preliminary meetings are useful before deciding whether to continue.

If we decide to continue, we agree the frequency and regular time of sessions, the fee, cancellation terms, and whether the work will take place online or in person. These arrangements are confirmed before ongoing work begins.