Some of them are quite famous, for example, by getting you to talk about whatever comes into your head, or by investigating your dreams. This all seems quite strange to most people, but psychoanalysts argue that the unconscious mind is quite strange, and doesn't operate according to the rules of common sense. That's often why, so they say, you cannot work out by yourself why you've not been able to sort out your own problems yourself. There are quite a few different types of psychoanalysis. Whichever, type of analysis is done, they all conform to the same idea that the answer lies in your unconscious.
Psychoanalysis usually goes on for years.
Because it is more about a voyage of self-discovery, it usually takes a long time for people to get to know themselves really well. There are shorter versions of psychoanalysis, which are quite similar but generally more focussed on particular problems that you might have. These are known as Psychoanalytic or Psychodynamic Psychotherapies . A lot of people say that it does, and many people argue that it is the only therapy which really seeks to delve into the bottom reaches of your mind, warts and all, to help you work on fundamental aspects of yourself like your own personality. However, not everybody likes it, and there are a number of criticisms of it.