George Pegios - Advantages of psychoanalytic psychotherapy

In recent years, new ways of doing psychotherapy have proliferated; In addition to classic methods such as psychoanalytic psychotherapy, techniques such as coaching or so-called "alternative" therapies have appeared, combining spiritual guidelines, meditation, advice, use and application of oils, etc.

This because it is certain that intimate emotional contact relieves and motivates change in a person, however, for a method to be considered psychotherapeutic, it requires a solid conceptual framework that accounts for both normal psychic functioning, as well as the pathological or dysfunctional aspects of the personality.

It is not by chance that the offers of methods that seek to improve the emotional conditions of human beings have proliferated, as the promises made by technological advances and social networks

were not met. In large cities, human beings grow and develop, feeling increasingly lonely, alienated, and in need of human contact. More frequently, teachers detect learning problems in their students whose origins lie in emotional conflicts. In work centers, increases in sick leave due to problems related to anxiety or depression are reported. Therefore, it seems that the current social organization favors a greater need to go to psychotherapy. However, not all therapies that seek to alleviate emotional pain are created equal.

A psychotherapeutic method aims to change thoughts, feelings, and behaviors through verbal communication. This is done within the framework of an interpersonal bond formed by an expert in personality theories and someone who needs help to treat certain psychological symptoms and relieve mental pain.

To carry out psychotherapy requires a climate of trust, but the friendly bond between the participants and the effort to achieve the desired changes are not enough; It is essential that the psychotherapist has a consistent and deep theoretical base, which allows him to recognize the scope of his method and identify the healthy and pathological aspects of the personality of each patient.

On the one hand, alternative therapies or coaching use empathy to allow emotional discharge and temporarily relieve mental pain, using influence and suggestion to generate changes in their clients. However, behavioral changes generally cannot be sustained over time, since these therapies fail to delve into the psychic functioning that originate them.

On the other hand, the scarce knowledge of many of these therapists in the area of ​​psychopathology favors that they do not detect serious mental disorders of the patient, which can put their professional development, personal ties and their physical health at risk.

Psychoanalytic-oriented psychotherapy is a method that helps people with disorders such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, etc., or who, without presenting clinical symptoms, seek to improve their emotional condition.

This psychotherapy has as its main pillars the psychopathological and psychic development theories elaborated by Sigmund Freud and by some of his followers. Its theoretical-clinical framework shows that the discovery of memories and unconscious conflicts (what we fail to detect or understand) modifies symptoms, alleviates anxiety, improves interpersonal ties and enriches personality.