PSYCHOTHERAPY

What is the difference between therapy, psychotherapy, psychoanalysis and who practice each one?

Therapy is the generic designation given to a diverse and ample range of interventions. Psychotherapy, however, it is a treatment that consists of a dialogue between the therapist and the client, or a group of clients, in which both are involved in achieving changes in the level of thoughts, feelings, mood and/or behaviours. Psychotherapy is a regulated practice, and may be performed by people in six different professions. Those professionals are Registered Psychotherapists, Registered Nurses, Clinical Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Medical Doctors, and Social Workers who are members of professional boards in Ontario.  Among these professionals, some practice psychodynamic therapy, and amongst them some offer psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy, also called intensive psychotherapy.

Psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy are methods of treatment that emphasize unconscious thoughts and unrecognized feelings that cause psychological symptoms. Psychoanalysis involves a deeper understanding of who we are and what motivates us, while psychoanalytic psychotherapy offers a greater insight into the origin of our symptoms. The former allows a more extensive and long-term change, and the latter primarily relieves symptoms, and facilitates greater insights into your psychical life and relationships.

Lacanian psychoanalysts, such as myself, prioritize language as the channel to access the unconscious, while other orientations emphasize the relational aspects of the therapeutic alliance.  I work to direct the treatment in a way that leads you to look closely at the issues that really matter to you.  In order to help you develop greater insight into your true desires, I will encourage you to examine your thoughts, feelings and acts honestly and free from any pre-established ideas. This awareness facilitates the discovery of productive ways of addressing and improving your life, by figuring out how you make your choices and live with them.