Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis is a set of theories and clinical practices aimed at exploring how unconscious processes shape thoughts, feelings, and behavior, and at treating psychological distress. It was developed by Sigmund Freud in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, expanding on the work of Josef Breuer and the method of free association. Core ideas include that much mental life is unconscious, that unresolved conflicts and desires influence behavior, and that symptoms can reflect hidden motivations.

Key concepts include the dynamic interplay of the id, ego, and superego; psychosexual development and libido; defense mechanisms such as repression and projection; and the interpretation of dreams as expressions of wish fulfillment. Freud proposed that early experiences shape personality and that unresolved conflicts can surface in adulthood as symptoms.

Techniques center on bringing unconscious material into awareness through free association, dream analysis, and the examination of transference in the therapeutic relationship. The analyst offers interpretations aimed at insight and symptom relief, often over long-term, intensive sessions, with the goal of achieving lasting psychological change.

Over time psychoanalysis diversified into schools such as ego psychology, object relations, and self psychology, and, in some traditions, Lacanian psychoanalysis. Many contemporary approaches are called psychodynamic therapies, including time-limited variants, which retain core Freudian concepts while emphasizing current functioning and evidence-based practice.

Psychodynamic concepts have influenced psychiatry and psychology but remain controversial in terms of scientific status. Critics point to limited empirical testing and reliance on case reports. Proponents note clinical utility for a range of disorders, and modern practice often integrates psychoanalytic ideas with other modalities and measurement approaches.