Anna M. A. Sergent

Exploring a deeper form of therapy and what it might offer you

If you’ve found your way here, chances are you’re considering therapy, or you’ve tried it before and are looking for something different. Perhaps you’ve heard of psychoanalytic psychotherapy or in-depth therapy, but aren’t quite sure what either involves, or whether they might be relevant to your life.

This post offers a grounded introduction to psychoanalytic psychotherapy, how it differs from other forms of therapy, and how it might help if you're searching for more than just symptom relief.

What is psychoanalysis?

If you’re considering therapy, or have tried it before and found it only scratched the surface, you may be wondering whether a different kind of work is possible. Perhaps you’ve come across terms like psychoanalysis or psychoanalytic psychotherapy and aren’t quite sure what they mean. Or maybe you’ve noticed how often therapy is presented in quick, goal-focused ways, and you're looking for something slower, more open, more searching.

This post introduces psychoanalysis and how it might help, especially if you’re interested in engaging with your experience at greater depth. In my practice, I often refer to this approach as in-depth therapy, not because it’s a separate method, but because it speaks to the kind of work we do together. We’re not skimming the surface or rushing toward solutions, but we’re trying to understand how your inner life works, how your symptoms speak, and what might become possible once something unconscious is put into words.

How Does This Type of Therapy Work?

Psychoanalytic work doesn't begin with pre-set goals or techniques. Instead, it offers a space to speak at your own pace, in your own words. The therapist listens closely, not only to what is said but also to what is repeated, avoided, or missed altogether.

Over time, this kind of listening can reveal unconscious patterns: ways of relating, reacting, or desiring that have become entrenched, even if they no longer serve us. These patterns often take root early in life, shaped by family dynamics, past experiences, and moments of trauma or confusion that were never fully understood.

The therapeutic process does not seek to “correct” these patterns from the outside, but to allow them to be recognised and worked through. In doing so, new ways of being may become possible, ways that are less constrained by repetition and more open to change.

Who Might Benefit from Psychoanalytic Work?

Many people seek out psychoanalytically informed therapy after finding that other approaches haven’t gone deep enough. You might be functioning on the surface, holding down a job, maintaining relationships, but still feel a persistent sense of inner conflict, dissatisfaction, or emotional pain.

Some of the issues that often bring people to this work include:

1. Depression and Anxiety

Suppose you've been struggling with low mood, persistent anxiety, or a sense of meaninglessness. In that case, psychoanalytic therapy can help uncover the unconscious dynamics that underlie these feelings, rather than just managing their surface symptoms.

2. Difficulties in Relationships

Recurring issues in intimate relationships, family dynamics, or friendships often reflect unconscious patterns developed early in life. These can be explored and understood more fully in the therapeutic relationship itself.

3. Experiences of Trauma

Whether related to abuse, neglect, loss, or other forms of psychological or physical trauma, psychoanalytic work offers a space in which these experiences can begin to be spoken about, without pressure, judgment, or expectation.

4. Identity and Self-Understanding

Struggles with questions of identity, belonging, gender, or sexuality are increasingly present in contemporary life. Psychoanalysis does not impose definitions or frameworks, but instead helps people encounter these questions in their own terms.

5. Feeling Stuck or Lost in Life

Sometimes, people come without a clear “problem” to solve, but with a diffuse sense of confusion, emptiness, or feeling out of place. These feelings often signal something important; something worth attending to rather than dismissing.

Is It the Same as CBT or Counselling?

Not at all. While cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and short-term counselling often focus on specific issues, symptoms, or goals, psychoanalysis works at a different level. It is not about managing thoughts or teaching coping strategies. It is about understanding where your suffering comes from, often in ways that are not yet conscious, and engaging with it in a sustained, transformative way.

Is This Work Always Long-Term?

Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is often described as “long-term,” but this doesn’t mean it must go on forever, or that it always begins with a strict format. The duration depends on the individual, their circumstances, and what emerges in the work itself.

For some, a meaningful process can unfold in weekly sessions over time. For others, a more intensive commitment may be possible or needed. What matters is not how many times per week you meet, but the seriousness of the engagement, the willingness to speak freely, to face what is difficult, and to stay with it long enough for change to happen.

Is Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy for Me?

Only you can decide that, but here are a few signs it might be worth exploring:

• You’ve tried other therapies but feel something remains unresolved.

• You’re curious about your own inner world, even if it sometimes feels painful or confusing.

• You want to understand your relationships, dreams, and emotional reactions more deeply.

• You feel stuck in certain life patterns that seem to repeat themselves.

• You're looking not for advice or tools, but for a space to speak and be heard in a different way.

Final Thoughts

There’s no right way to begin. You don’t need to arrive with clear goals or a complete history. The process itself will help you find your way. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy can be unsettling at times, but it can also be deeply rewarding, offering not just relief but transformation.

If you're drawn to working in a way that takes your experience seriously, allows space for the unknown, and opens up the possibility of something new, psychoanalysis, or in-depth therapy might be worth considering.

Interested in Starting?

If you’re curious to find out more or would like to arrange an initial consultation, you are welcome to get in touch. We can begin with a conversation about what’s brought you here, and whether this kind of work feels right for you.