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Psychotherapy(comparison with psychoanalysis)

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Features in common:-

  • assumption that the patient's childhood development was marred by some painful emotional experience.
  • assumption that in adult life these painful experiences have given rise to fears of which the patient cannot be aware.
  • assumption that the difficulties in relationships and neurotic symptoms may have resulted from these fears.
  • assumption that if the patient is able to explore and experience his feelings within a safe environment then he may be able to understand and modify his relationships with other people.

Differences between psychotherapy and psychoanalysis;

  • Psychotherapy:-
  • occurs less frequently (once or twice a week)
  • patient and therapist usually sit in chairs (the patient usually sits in a couch in psychoanalysis)
  • emotional problems are explored by means of normal conversation(emotional problems are explored by free association in psychoanalysis).

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