I approach psychotherapy holistically, from the position that our emotions, thoughts, and behavior hang together in ways that make sense emotionally, even if this is not always apparent to us. Many of us who seek therapy come because we find ourselves repeating unwanted behavioral, emotional, and relationship patterns without understanding them or being able to change them. I believe, on the basis of research and my clinical work, that getting to the root of unwanted patterns is a matter of facilitating a kind of experience of their meanings for us.
In psychoanalytic therapy, this experience—and the self-awareness that comes with it—is transformative. It empowers us to integrate alienated parts of ourselves, enabling us to express ourselves in words instead of troublesome symptoms. One of the foundational ideas of psychoanalysis is that through the challenging task of trying to say whatever comes to mind, people gradually become acquainted with parts of themselves—with ways of thinking, feeling, and being—that are ordinarily unconscious. From a psychoanalytic perspective, the patient is always on topic; everything they say in a session should be listened to with openness and attention.
In such a space, the therapist and the patient collaborate in an effort to synthesize parts of the patient that are, at first, difficult to hold together. This yields two kinds of freedom: freedom from rigid patterns of thought and behavior that no longer fit one’s circumstances; and freedom to act authentically, rather than merely react in accordance with conditioned patterns.
If you think you might be interested in pursuing this kind of work together, I’d be happy to speak with you and answer any questions you might have.
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis • Fellowship
University of Chicago
AM • Clinical Social Work
MA • Social Sciences (Psychology)
BA • Philosophy with Honors
CONTACT ARIANE POTVIN