psychoanalysis

[sahy-koh-uh-nal-uh-sis]

noun

1. a systematic structure of theories concerning the relation of conscious and unconscious psychological processes.

2. a technical procedure for investigating unconscious mental processes and for treating psychoneuroses.

psychoanalysis

/ ˌsaɪkəʊˈænəlɪst, ˌsaɪkəʊəˈnælɪsɪs, ˌsaɪkəʊˌænəˈlɪtɪk /

noun

1. a method of studying the mind and treating mental and emotional disorders based on revealing and investigating the role of the unconscious mind

psychoanalysis

1. A method of treating mental illness, originating with Sigmund Freud, in which a psychiatrist (analyst) helps a patient discover and confront the causes of the illness. Many psychiatrists believe that these causes are buried deep in the unconscious of the patient and can be brought to the surface through such techniques as hypnosis and the analysis of dreams. Psychoanalysis emphasizes that mental illness usually originates in repressed sexual desires or traumas in childhood.

Psychoanalysis is sometimes simply called analysis.

Other Word Forms

• psychoanalyst noun
• psychoanalytically adverb
• psychoanalytic adjective
• psychoanalytical adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of psychoanalysis¹

From the German word Psychoanalyse, dating back to 1905–10. See psycho-, analysis