What is Psychoanalysis?
Psychoanalysis is a form of therapy that explores how unconscious processes shape thoughts, feelings, and relationships. It is concerned not only with what is known, but also with what may remain outside awareness yet continues to have an effect.
Psychoanalysis does not aim at quick solutions or the removal of symptoms alone. Rather, it offers a space in which recurring patterns, difficulties in relationships, and persistent forms of suffering can be approached differently. What matters is not only what is said, but how it is said, and what may be heard in it.
At The Underthought, I offer psychoanalytic therapy and counselling in Sydney and online across Australia. This work takes place in a confidential setting where speech is not directed or corrected, but listened to carefully, allowing something of a person’s experience to emerge in its own way and time.
How Psychoanalysis Works
Sessions are based on the possibility of speaking freely. There is no fixed agenda, and no expectation to present oneself in a particular way. This allows connections to form between past and present, between what is experienced and what may not yet be fully understood.
The work unfolds gradually. It does not impose direction, but follows the logic of the individual’s own speech. In this sense, psychoanalytic therapy differs from more structured or solution-focused approaches.
Who Psychoanalysis is For
People come to psychoanalysis for many reasons. These may include anxiety, depression, difficulties in relationships, or other form of emotional distress that something is not quite right, even if it is hard to say why.
It may also be sought by those who are not looking for advice or techniques, but for a space to think and speak more freely about their experience.
Psychoanalysis in Relation to Other Therapies
Psychoanalysis differs from many contemporary forms of therapy that focus on managing symptoms or developing strategies. Rather than offering guidance or solutions, it is oriented toward listening and understanding how something comes to be the way it is.
This does not mean that change is not possible. Rather, change is approached indirectly, through a closer engagement with one’s own speech and experience.
Psychoanalytic Practice in Sydney
I am Fernando Rocha, a psychoanalytic therapist and counsellor in Sydney, offering psychoanalysis and counselling in person and online across Australia. Sessions take place regularly and provide a consistent setting in which this work can unfold over time.
You can learn more about how psychoanalytic sessions work on the Services page or get in touch to arrange an initial meeting.
An Invitation to Begin Psychoanalysis
If you would like to begin psychoanalysis in Sydney, you are welcome to contact me.