Psychoanalysis, founded by Neurologist Sigmund Freud, is the hallmark of psychotherapy. Freud believed that individuals have levels of consciousness and mental health disorders come from the unconscious mind, which stores primal energy and sexual urges.
Psychoanalysis’s goal is to make the unconscious conscious so people can better understand their whole self. Because the unconscious guards repressed emotions and memories, people can be hesitant to bring them forward. Freud referred to these defense mechanisms as ways people avoid confronting their unconscious thoughts.
Psychoanalysis uses the Rorschach inkblot test, free association, and dream analysis.
Rorschach inkblot tests are ambiguous images that have no meaning. Psychoanalysts ask a person to explain what they see within the image and then interpret their unconscious material from there.
Free association is when a psychoanalyst says a word or phrase, and then the person is encouraged to speak about whatever first comes to mind. Free association aims to discover parts of repressed memories and incorporate them into the conscious mind.
Dream analysis asks people to explain their dreams. Then, the psychoanalyst makes interpretations, or guesses, about the dream’s latent content. Latent content refers to what the dream means instead of the dream’s manifest content, which is what happened during the dream.
Psychoanalysis is an intensive form of therapy that requires years of work. It can be helpful for people experiencing anxiety or depression or for people who want to incorporate unconscious material into their consciousness.
Words are our most powerful tool in expressing ourselves. It can be liberating and insightful. I can guide you to expressing your most inner thoughts and feelings, a path to understanding ourselves. Special interest in working with individuals in any highly stressful work environments....
Problems in love and work, as well as symptoms of depression and anxiety, often lead people to seek therapy. Psychotherapy allows for the safe exploration of painful problems and resolution of conflicts underlying them. As trust develops, individuals explore their inner feelings related to anger, intimacy, and spirituality. Before treatment, these feelings are frequently blocked and unavailable...
Help with the Effects of Coronavirus: I am an experienced psychotherapist who can help you cope with the distressing effects of the virus, including anxiety, depression, fear or panic. I am currently offering secure online sessions. I believe that anyone can benefit from psychotherapy, whether you are dealing with a passing crisis or long held feelings of anxiety, sadness, helplessness, mood...
I practice psychotherapy with adults of all ages, older adolescents, and couples. I treat clients with problems related to depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship conflict, and feeling stuck and overwhelmed by life decisions. I am sensitive to and interested in the role of culture and socioeconomics, and I have had the privilege of treating clients with many different ethnicities, religions, ...
My work is dedicated to helping people develop healthy relationships and productive, satisfying lives. You may be experiencing depression, anxiety, a difficult situation, a sense that somehow your life is not working out as you'd like. It's easy to lose our way and feel lost, sad and overwhelmed. Sometimes we need a compassionate, objective person to help us sort out problems, regain perspectiv...
Dr. Efrain Antonio Gonzalez provides individual psychotherapy to adults and adolescents. Psychotherapy offers an opportunity to manage anxiety, depression, and relationship issues by exploring difficult experiences and emotions in a safe, non-judgmental environment. Dr. Gonzalez is a certified Psychoanalyst and an Adjunct Professor at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Neuroscience and...
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As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I have experience collaborating with individuals, families, and groups of people who desire to make significant, lasting changes to their lives through therapeutic intervention. To date, I have provided services in psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment facilities, and directly in the homes of clients ranging from preschool age to those well past...
I have practiced psychotherapy and psychoanalysis for the past 30 years. I have worked with both men and women. I have found that underlying a person’s distress is often a sense of not feeling safe and or connected. We are usually at our best when we feel safe. I offer a safe, empathic and compassionate environment informed by my many years of practice as well as my own journey through life. In...
If you're feeling off balance - challenged by life's transitions, significant loss, difficult emotions, feelings of confusion, or relationship problems - therapy can help. My view towards therapy is “there is more right with you, than wrong with you." This was said by Jon Kabat Zinn, an early champion of mindfulness in the U.S., and it points to our inherent strengths. I believe we all have the...
I have over 20 years of clinical experience in the mental health field working with adults struggling with a variety of concerns. I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist (CA License #PSY15300), a Board-Certified psychoanalyst, and a fellow of the American Board of Psychoanalysis. I am currently an Associate Professor at the California School of Professional Psychology and teach classes at the San...
As a clinical therapist I am honored to hear people’s stories and witness incredible resilience in the face of trauma, intersections of injustice, and the stigma surrounding seeking help. My passion is in empowering clients in recognizing their own strengths and building upon them in a safe and nonjudgmental atmosphere. I am committed to being culturally respectful and an ally to diverse...
I help couples and individuals stuck in unsatisfying, repetitive patterns find clarity and regain momentum. I have a warm, collaborative and direct style. My work is informed by years of postgraduate training in psychodynamic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis, a form of treatment that aims to fully resolve underlying causes of our distress. I draw on the latest research in neuroscience, attachme...
