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 FAQs
Q.  Psychoanalytic Treatments - I have a question about the role of therapist self-disclosure in psychoanalysis. I understand that the theory of psychoanalysis is that the analyst should be as much of a blank slate as possible to allow "transference" to develop. But when it comes to things like scheduling, cancelling appointments, interruptions during the sessions, etc., isn't the patient (as a paying client) entitled to a ce le, if the analyst suddenly has to cancel several appointments, isn't the patient entitled to know (generally) the reason instead of just talking about how it makes him/her "feel"?
Q.  Sigmund Freud - I am looking into becoming a psychologist and I am hoping to make a difference in the world. I was talking to a teacher of mine and he suggested that in order to find inspiration I should look up Sigmund Freud and see how he changed the world. So that is my question - how has he affected the world of today?
Q.  Lying on the Couch - What is the purpose of lying on the couch in a psychoanalytic session? Also, why does the patient not see the therapist? Does the therapist not miss important information such as lack of eye contact, body postures, etc.
Q.  Analytic Sessions
I'm curious about the 50-minute sessions. Many times in analytic sessions we reach a particularly interesting part of the discussion (per the analyst's opinion) and the analyst always ends the session no matter what -- even if he doesn't have another patient afterward, even knowing that I'm willing to pay. What is the purpose of the rigidity of the schedule?
Q.  Depression
Is it possible for depression to be so severe that the patient cannot be helped by drugs and/or Jungian analysis?
Q.  Sliding Scale Fees
Analysis would seem to make sense for a lot of people, maybe even the majority of people, at least once in a lifetime. Only the rich can afford it, however.
Q.  The Analyst's Office
How important is the physical environment in which psychoanalysis takes place, considered to be? What are the important characteristics? Why are they important? I'm especially interested in if silence is considered important.
Q.  Fate Neurosis
I would like to know more about fate neurosis in Freudian thought. Could you suggest any papers or reviews on this subject?
Q.  Time in Treatment
The following is three part question

1.Why does analysis take so long? Is it because analysands are more psychologically impaired than others who seek short term psychotherapy?
2.What makes a person a good candidate for analysis as opposed to short term counseling?
3.Who Can Benefit from Psychoanalysis?
Q.  Sliding Scale Fees
I know sliding scales do exist for some patients. But what, on average, do sessions cost? Do many insurance companies contribute to the fees?
Q.  The "Analytic Setting"
I am an Italian Jungian psychotherapist and I would be pleased if (as I could not find it) you would let me know who used for the first time the term "setting" in psychoanalysis.
Q.  Assessment of Analyzability
How is assessment defined and conducted in psychoanalysis?
Q.  The Aging Analyst
When a patient has been in extensive analysis for a number of years and the analyst becomes old and notably more ill and even disoriented, or when the analyst has been suffering from a illness for months that affects his patients and then becomes suddenly unavailable for months and attempts to return to private practice is difficult at best, what would be the best way for the analyst to handle such a delicate situation.
Q.  The Benefits of Psychoanalysis
I am a high school student doing a project for psychology class, and I am having trouble finding information on my topic. My topic is "the benefits of psychoanalysis." If you could send me any information, I would greatly appreciate it.
Q.  Boundaries in Therapy
What are the physical boundaries that should be maintained between therapist and patient? For instance, is a handshake okay? How about a reassuring hand on a shoulder? What about physical contact of a clinical nature, as, say, if a patient were to express concern about a poorly healed, previously fractured rib and the therapist palpated it? And what about personal comments, such as those about hairstyle or clothing? Are compliments an acceptable form of communication in the doctor-patient relationship? What are the guidelines for maintaining appropriate boundaries, exactly? Is it simply a matter of whether both parties are comfortable with the level of physical and emotional intimacy, or are there actual boundaries that should never be crossed?
Q.  The Use of the Couch
What are the advantages in psychotherapy of lying on a couch? If a patient already avoids the gaze of the psychiatrist when talking about issues of deep importance, what might be gained by switching from face-to-face conversations to having the patient lie in a recumbent position? Please name some instances where it could be preferable for the patient to be lying down.
Q.  Developments in Psychoanalytic Theory and Practice
I would appreciate if you would steer me toward reading material that would provide me with a deeper understanding of the changes that have occurred in psychoanalysis over the past 20 or so years. In particular I would like to have a better understanding of ego psychology, transference neurosis, resistance, etc.
Q.  E-mail and Telephone Therapy
Some people not only find it virtually impossible to discuss certain issues when face-to-face with their psychotherapist, but also are more comfortable with written communication than with oral communication. What do you think about the idea of conducting therapy via phone, E-mail or even "Instant Messages" (i.e., real time online conversations that are comparable to those that take place in "chat rooms" -- except that they are private)?
Q.  Erotic Transference
Is it possible to be attracted to your therapist, for that person vs. some transference thing? At first meeting there was an attraction. If one develops an attraction for one's therapist, should they not continue therapy with that therapist?
Q.  Excessive Neatness
I have a question regarding the psychoanalytic approach. Could you please tell me how it explains how someone became excessively neat and organized? If possible could you also tell me how social-learning and phenomenological approaches explains how someone became excessively neat and organized?
Q.  Failure
I'm a Psychology Major and want your opinion on ways that you handle client failure within a therapy session.
Q.  Feelings for the Analyst (Transference)
Why is important for an analysand to discuss his/her feelings for the analyst?
Q.  Gender in Analysis
My question has to do with gender in analysis - what is the thinking on whether a woman analysand would be better off with a woman analyst? What if the patient has issues with other women and finds it easier to talk to a man?
Q.  Grief
Is there any empirical research that suggests a person must grieve a broken relationship of any kind for at least 18 months, or any given time period for that matter. This was suggested by a psychoanalyst and I have serious questions about the validity of setting time limits.
Q.  Influence of gender on therapy
I'm an Italian student. I'm writing my thesis about the influence of the therapist and the patient gender on the therapy process and outcome. I'd like to know what is your opinion.
Q.  Lacanian vs. Freudian
Are there "Lacanian" analysts practicing in the U.S. and could you point out some of the differences between a "Freudian" (or "post-Freudian") analysis and an analysis from a Lacanian perspective?
Q.  Life After Analysis
I am interested in finding out what has been written about what happens to analytic patients after they terminate their analyses. Are they better? What percent end up returning to analysis or some other type of psychotherapy? If they return to analysis, do they go back to the same analyst?
Q.  Micropsychoanalysis
I wonder if you have any information on micropsychoanalysis. I am trying to find a therapist here and the one I am interested has done her training in micropsychoianalysis in Switzerland but I am unable to find anything on this.
Q.  Mutual Analysis
Please tell me something about "mutual analysis". Besides the history, I would also like to know if it is practiced now and if there is something published about it. I would also like to know if there are critical voices and, if so, which arguments are used and how they are bound to the theory.
Q.  Narcissistic Personality Disorder
I am doing research on Narcissistic Personality Disorder and would be interested to know how this condition is normally treated, i.e., does it normally require lengthy individual sessions of psychotherapy ? Is group therapy recommended for this condition? Any references would be gratefully received.
Q.  Negative Therapeutic Reaction
Could Negative Therapeutic Reaction be described as resistance to giving up symptoms? Or am I thinking of Secondary Gain?
Q.  Reading About Analysis While In Analysis
I am interested in learning whether there is literature on the subject of how an analysand's reading of psychoanalytical theory (while undergoing analysis) can influence the analytical process. As an analysand for the last ten months I am personally interested in the subject (and, of course discused this with my analyst). I suppose there are no general answers, but is there some sort of consensus among practicing analysts about the value (positive or negative) of their patients' previous or current exposure to analytical writings (including the by-now prodigiously large genre of the anti-psychoanalysis tract)?
Q.  The "As If" Relationship in Analysis
What does a psychoanalyst mean when they say "the patient acts as if their fantasy is true". Is this the same thing as a patient losing the "as if" quality in their interactions? Does this happen in certain diagnoses? Does it occur in neurotic patients when they are regressed?
Q.  Problems of Married Men
I'm a student of psychology and I'm doing a research assignment about "Problems of Married Men." I would appreciate any information about this assignment.
Q.  Psychoanalysis of Groups
Is there a way to possibly determine the collective mind of a population? I was thinking that psychoanalysis could be used because of its property of delving into the unconscious mind. I was doing some reading into it and my Sociology teacher said that Freud had done some work with masses and I was wondering if he or someone else had written a book on it.
Q.  The Psychodynamic Perspective
I am doing a project for school on psychodynamic perspective's application to psychological issues. Could you please give me some information on the following?
1. How effective is the psychodynamic perspective in explaining current psychological and social issues?
2. Does the psychodynamic perspective maintain assumptions which severely limit its relevance to certain psychological topics?
3. In what ways does the psychodynamic perspective differ from other perspectives in its approach to various psychological issues?
4. Does the psychodynamic perspective offer satisfactory explanations of cognitive phenomena? Are there effective strategies for helping individuals with psychological disorders?
5. Does the psychodynamic perspective recommend specific changes in social, educational, or working conditions that would improve the mental well being of people?
6. If given a current psychologiacl or social issue, how might the psychodynamic perspective describe and interpret it?
Q.  Psychodynamic Training and Low-Fee Treatment
My first job out of college was as a counselor at a psychodynamically oriented residential school in Chicago. I did that for three years, and then I began an MSW program. In the program and in the job I've had since completing the program, I have been unsatisfied with the lack of psychodynamic supervision and job opportunities. So, my question is this: How can I get more psychoanalytic training and practice psychodynamically if it is not supported by my agency? I am contemplating moving to NYC within the next year, where I know there is a plethora of training options, but that is not definite yet. If that does happen, is there a particular training program you would recommend? Finally, a two part question: A) While I understand that there are low-fee analysis options, even "low fees" can be a burden to a fledgling social worker with heavy student loan debt; any suggestions? B) Are low-fee options typically done by analysts in training? If so, can they count later on if I were to pursue my own training in psychoanalysis?
Q.  Self-Analysis
I would like to know about autoanalysis . I have known about a book written by Dr. Karen. Horney about the subject.
Q.  Self-Knowledge
What is self picture of man who has big self-knowledge like?
Q.  Treatment of Depression
I am currently a psychology major. I am working on a case study for my abnormal psych class and was wondering if you could give me some information on different types of treatment used to treat depression. Also, are there any websites that will also help aid me in the writing of my paper.
Q.  Termination
Are there any good articles or books on termination? I am particularly interested in writings on how analysands cope with termination. I am also interested in writings on long-term success/failure of analysis from the analysand's perspective.
Q.  Transference in the Mentally Retarded
I'm having a hard time finding literature on transference in mentally retarded populations. Could you suggest any recent articles within the last five years?
Q.  Validity of Memory
I was wondering, considering the influence of the False Memory Syndrome Foundation presently in the media, whether the American Psychoanalytic Association has a conclusion regarding the validity of repressed memory?
Q.  Video on Psychoanalysis
I am giving a presentation on psychoanalytic theory. Do you know where I could get a video that shows a patient being interviewed using this theory. I am a MSW grad student. I would prefer to borrow one. I would buy one if it was what I wanted for around $20.
Q.  "Word-Association"
What method of psychoanalysis involves the patient giving immediate verbal responses to a series of brief statements made by the practitioner?
Q.  Writings by Analytic Patients
Are there any writings by analytic patients telling about their analyses or about their termination of analysis or the aftermath?

 
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