(Adapted from the material provided by the Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis, L.A.)
Today, psychoanalysis is as strikingly different from Freudian analysis as modern physics is from the work of Newton. While psychoanalysis began with the work of Sigmund Freud, it has evolved and changed greatly over the years. It has incorporated the contributions of many other analysts, therapists, and researchers. There now exists a contemporary form of psychoanalysis that serves important purposes in our increasingly complex world: It is a treatment for emotional discomfort or pain; it is an avenue for self discovery and personal growth; and it is a means toward establishing and enhancing relationships with others and the world at large.
Contemporary psychoanalysis is an interpersonal experience that emphasizes the healing properties of two or more people collaboratively making sense of life in ways that are meaningful to the client. Unlike traditional psychoanalysis which holds the analyst as an authority regarding what is true about the client, contemporary perspectives emphasize the meaning of the client's unique, subjective experience.
Based on current psychoanalytic studies plus research in child development, memory, neurobiology, and culture, contemporary psychoanalysis is an advanced method for making sense of ourselves and the world around us.
Psychoanalysis provides a comprehensive understanding of an individual's life. In traditional psychoanalytic approaches, it is believed that the analyst attempts to be a "blank screen" onto which the client's conflicts will be projected. In contemporary psychoanalytic approaches, it is assumed that the analyst is always participating in the therapeutic situation and, therefore, works to understand the patterns of relating between client and analyst. By focusing on the relationship with the analyst, contemporary psychoanalysis creates an intensity of experience that often leads to transformation.
There are many other psychotherapies, and they vary widely in their purposes, frequency of meetings, and comprehensiveness. Some approaches focus on changing behaviors, others on thought patterns, others on problem-solving, and still others on expressing emotions. Contemporary psychoanalysis potentially incorporates many diverse ideas and approaches depending upon the client's unique, personal needs.
An analyst trained in contemporary psychoanalysis focuses not just on past experiences, but also on the here-and-now of an individual's experiences and relationships. Attachments, separations, and losses beginning in infancy influence one's personality, as do current contexts of living, working, and loving. A contemporary psychoanalyst is interested in mutually exploring your past and present experiences and relationships. He or she participates in a dialogue with you to develop understandings about your life rather than impose some theory onto your life. The dialogue is likely to be in the language that all of us use in everyday relationships.
A psychoanalyst is an experienced, licensed mental health professional (i.e., psychiatrist, psychologist, marriage and family therapist) who has completed advanced training at a psychoanalytic institute. The advanced training consists of three parts: Four years of classes in psychoanalytic theory and technique, a personal analysis, and case supervision. Analysts often teach, conduct research, and supervise others in addition to their psychoanalytic and psychotherapeutic work.
