A true psychoanalyst will have a certificate from a recognized institute and will be able to point you to a national Directory of Psychoanalysts where this person's name is listed. Your psychoanalyst's approach to therapy will be distinctive. Psychoanalysts consider this approach useless and even harmful, since it falsely implies that the patient is ignorant or wrong and that the therapist knows better. A psychoanalyst's approach is based on a sophisticated listening process that can identify previously unknown obstacles to growth. Resolving these obstacles frees the person' s own talents in choosing a personal pathway to solving problems.
Psychoanalysts have no special topics the patient is supposed to discuss.
Patients often bring up childhood memories and fantasies as psychoanalysis enables the mind to expand. Life themes that previously seemed disconnected are understood in a new light. This integration of past and present is part of the holistic growth resulting from psychoanalysis. Many analysts are willing to cooperate with insurance companies, but even though you pay premiums year after year, you might be surprised to find that your policy strictly limits benefits for psychotherapy. Consumers found that their company expected a detailed written report about confidential information, that they are only covered for a few sessions, that the company wanted them to take pills, or that they could not choose the best therapist because the company required them to see someone who had a financial agreement on the side that they are not allowed to know about.