Psychoanalysis is the process by which the unconscious is made conscious and the "truth" about ourselves is uncovered and accepted so that psychological healing and psychic growth can occur.

Dr. Sigmund Freud developed psychoanalysis in Vienna in the early 20th Century as both a revolutionary way of understanding human emotions and of helping people with their psychological problems.  Freud helped the world understand that the "rational" adult who functions more or less successfully in the "real world" is only a part of the total person. Under the rational self is the unconscious self and Freud was able to demonstrate the powerful influence that unconscious feelings and thoughts had on the health of his patients. In the years since Freud’s groundbreaking work, psychoanalysis has evolved in many different and varied ways. All of the prevailing analytic schools are represented at NPAP.

All approaches have in common the goal of helping people to get in touch with their unconscious through the exploration of the memories, feelings and desires that are not readily available to the conscious mind. Further, psychoanalysis helps people to understand how unconscious feelings and thoughts affect the way they act and react, think and feel. As a result of this process patients are enabled to act more effectively in their lives.

Psychoanalysis differs from other psychotherapies in its focus, depth and method. Other therapies help you solve particular problems. In psychoanalysis, specific problems are viewed in the context of the whole person. The quest for self-knowledge is the most important key to changing attitudes and behavior.

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