Psychoanalytic Therapy in Los Angeles

Life is the fast lane, as it is in Los Angeles, has become all about the quick fixes. But these quick fixes are only temporary - like a band-aid on a deep wound. They might provide relief, but they do not provide healing.

Long before we knew psychotherapy as it is today, Sigmund Freud developed what became the strong foundation - psychoanalysis. Everything that came after is either an extension or a reaction to it.

Psychoanalytic therapy is one of the foremost talk therapies to delve into your unconscious mind - the hidden thoughts, feelings, and memories. By exploring the deeper layers of your psyche, this therapy gives you an insight into the deeply rooted (yet invisible) patterns that shape your present behaviors and personality - so that you can move toward healing.

Psychoanalytic therapy was developed by Freud in the 1900s. It is based on the understanding that unresolved conflicts from the past - especially from your early childhood years - impact your present behaviors and personality. While these conflicts are deeply buried in your unconscious mind - the part of your mind that is not immediately accessible to you - they shape how you perceive yourself, your relationships, and your world.

A psychoanalytic therapist helps you bring your unconscious thoughts, feelings, and memories to your conscious awareness. With insight, you understand the repetitive patterns affecting your life and your relationships, so that you can move toward healing.

Linda Whiteside, Clinical Supervisor at the NuView Treatment Center, says, “At our Los Angeles facility, we conduct psychoanalytic therapy sessions one or more weekly sessions - depending on where you are in your healing journey. You are encouraged to speak out whatever comes to your mind, as your therapist listens to you to uncover the hidden patterns and conflicts in a safe, non-judgmental setting.”

The core concepts of psychoanalysis have shaped psychoanalytic therapy, and they are as follows:

Free Association

Free association is an open dialogue technique meant to bring the unconscious mind to conscious awareness. You are encouraged to say whatever comes to your mind, as your therapist listens to you without judgment. The common image of a client lying down on the couch comes from here, but therapy has evolved beyond that today.

The Tripartite Theory of the Mind

Psychoanalysis says that the mind is divided into three parts:

• Id: Instinctive, unconscious drive that pushes for immediate, even impulsive gratification.
• Ego: The realistic, problem-solving entity that negotiates between desire and reality.
• Superego: The internalized moral rules and ideals that create guilt or shame when violated.

In therapy, the understanding of these three forces sheds light on how desires, reasoning, and moral expectations clash - and how that impacts mental well-being.

Defense Mechanisms

Defense mechanisms are how we protect ourselves from the painful clash between desires, reasoning, and moral expectations. These will be denial, repression, regression, rationalization, projection, and sublimation. Recognizing these patterns lets you understand yourself with honesty.

Dream Analysis

Your dreams reveal your unconscious mind. Your therapist will analyze and interpret your dreams for you to understand what your unconscious mind is telling you.

Transference and Countertransference

When you project your unconscious feelings and expectations onto your therapist, it is transference. When your therapist emotionally reacts to you, it is countertransference. Both transference and countertransference let you dwell deeper and explore something that needs to be.

Insight

Insight is when you uncover the hidden thoughts, feelings, and memories behind your symptoms and struggles to integrate them with your understanding of your life, relationships, and world to move toward awareness and change.

Psychoanalytic therapy treats a wide spectrum of mental health challenges, such as:

• Anxiety-related symptoms and disorders
• Depressive symptoms
• Interpersonal relationship troubles
• Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder
• Psychosomatic symptoms
• Self-destructive behaviors like substance misuse
• Intimacy or sexual concerns

Psychoanalysis, in many ways, was the origin of psychotherapy as we know it today. In its own way, it inspired other therapies that looked beyond it to develop the cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and humanistic therapies like the person-centered approach.

Within the field, it has inspired psychodynamic therapy, brief psychodynamic therapy, internal family systems therapy, and more. It has also evolved to integrate mindfulness and other holistic healing techniques.

Linda Whiteside says, “When Freud developed his theory, it was not without its detractors. To this day, scientists and scholars doubt the existence of the unconscious mind - and for good reason - we can never be able to tangibly feel it, after all. But in the end, what remains is this - psychoanalysis changed psychology forever. How we see psychotherapy and mental health today has been largely and reactively shaped by the school of psychoanalysis.”

Yes, psychoanalytic therapy is effective in the treatment of mental health challenges. A recent meta-analysis revealed that it reduces psychiatric symptoms and other challenges to enhance the quality of life.

One other recent randomized controlled trial showed that psychoanalytic therapy effectively enhances one’s sense of self, personality, and social functioning in general.

Psychoanalytic therapy is a longer therapy; it can even take up to 3-7 years. Generally speaking, it may not fit into the fast-paced city that we know Los Angeles to be - but then it is not your quick fix. While shorter versions like psychodynamic therapy and brief psychodynamic therapy are available, psychoanalytic therapy is for those who want to understand their pain closely and elaborately.

When you explore the entirety of your inner world, you understand the patterns that have shaped you thus far - both the good and the bad. You understand what you want to build on and what you want to remove in your journey from here.

Linda Whiteside informs, “We have seen that psychoanalytic therapy can reduce your mental health symptoms by 70% or more. It speaks to how effective it can be even today.”

LA is not slowing down - but if you want a safe environment where you can slow down, focus on yourself, reset, and heal, then psychoanalytic therapy can be the right option for you.

If you are considering psychoanalytic therapy in Los Angeles, finding licensed and trained therapists can be very tricky.

At NuView, we match you with therapists with advanced training in psychoanalytic therapy, who can tailor the therapeutic experience to your needs and goals so you can look within and heal toward a healthier, brighter future.

Please contact us at (323) 307-7997 to connect with our experts today!

1. Who can benefit from psychoanalytic therapy?

Anyone who is struggling with recurring emotional or behavioral patterns and other mental health symptoms can benefit from psychoanalytic therapy.

2. How long does psychoanalytic therapy usually last?

Psychoanalytic therapy lasts anywhere between several months and 3 or 7 years.

3. Are there shorter psychoanalytic therapies?

Shorter versions of psychoanalytic therapy are psychodynamic therapy and brief psychodynamic therapy.

4. Where do I find licensed psychoanalytic therapists in Los Angeles?

You can ask your primary healthcare provider or trusted family and friends for references. You can also reach out to NuView at (323) 307-7997, and we match you with psychoanalytic therapists who will tailor the therapeutic experience to your needs and goals.

5. Is psychoanalytic therapy covered by insurance?

Typically, psychoanalytic therapy is covered by insurance if it is integrated into a broader rehab program. Otherwise, it depends on your insurance policy. You contact your insurance provider or call NuView at (323) 307-7997, and we can verify your insurance for you.