Psychotherapy
Psychoanalytic thinking provides a rich theoretical framework to assist in understanding the complexities of the human mind.
Psychotherapy that is psychoanalytically informed offers insight-orientated treatment, which focuses on understanding the meaning of distressing behaviour and symptoms. Typically, a patient’s experience of this psychotherapy is one of gradually developing an understanding of the layers within themselves: why they might feel, respond, and behave in the way that they do. Over time, a patient will understand their feelings better, to feel differently, to change behaviour, and to be more empowered in their choices.
All psychoanalytically-oriented therapists focus on the unconscious and internal world of their patients in order to help in their external reality.
In SAPI/SAPA we identify three types of psychotherapy, each with distinct processes and their own unique indications.
Psychoanalytically-oriented psychotherapy is a less intense, lower frequency treatment but is informed by psychoanalytical theory.
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is a higher frequency (typically twice a week) and longer-term treatment. The therapy is mostly conducted face-to-face instead of on the couch. Within SAPI these therapists are all recognised as a Fellow of the SAPI College of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapists (FSCPP)
Psychoanalysis is most often associated with the couch and is the highest frequency treatment choice (three to five times weekly).
Psychoanalytic therapy can be an entry point to psychoanalysis. Patients can also have more than one psychotherapy in their lifetime.