Psychoanalysis and the unconscious

A man observing a large, lifelike sculpture of an elderly man with a braid on a white gallery wall.
PSYCHOANALYSIS AND THE UNCONSCIOUS

Men’s anxiety about hair loss can have a deeper meaning

As a psychoanalyst, I’ve seen how reflecting on the emotional symbolism of hair loss can be therapeutic for many men

by Tom Wooldridge

Black and white drawing of stylised smoke or clouds rising from the ground in swirling patterns.
THE SELF

Why bad doodles can reveal more about you than good drawings

For Marion Milner, ‘not being able’ is a valuable state – one that allows for new and unexpected forms of learning

by David Russell

A child sitting at a desk with a cat, sunlight casting patterns through a window.
PSYCHOANALYSIS AND THE UNCONSCIOUS

Three ways to get in touch with your Shadow self

Jung believed we all have a Shadow self. Facing up to it could help you live more fully and be more forgiving of others

by Ruth Williams

Black-and-white photo of a man with glasses holding a pipe, sitting in an office with stained glass windows.
PSYCHOANALYSIS AND THE UNCONSCIOUS

For Jung, architecture was a tool to represent the psyche

Carl Jung’s approach to architecture is a provocation: how are we creating spaces for the forgotten dimensions of our minds?

by David Borkenhagen

Painting of a mysterious woman with long dark hair and a snake, set against an orange and black background.
SEX AND SEXUALITY

My take on ‘Venus in Furs’ as a modern-day dominatrix

My experiences as a 21st-century femdom echo the gendered themes that feature in Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s 1870 novel

by Gia Marcos

Close-up photo of hands holding a silver wristwatch with a white dial and black numerals on a black background.
SELF-HARM AND SUICIDE

The violence of suicide reverberates in, and through, us all

A psychodynamic perspective on suicide can help us all reckon more honestly with the interconnectedness of psychic pain

by Kyle Boyd

Etching of nude figures dancing and playing instruments under trees, with a building in the background.
HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY

How a Viennese genius (not the one you think) understood penis envy

Karen Horney’s challenge to Freudian psychosexual theory helped me say ‘penis’ without flinching in my Cairo classroom

by Heba Yosry

Black and white photo of a person leaning from a window in a brick building with a fire escape, traffic light in foreground.
HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF MENTAL HEALTH

Can we diagnose suffering without knowing a person’s history?

Human bodies and mental states are always transforming. How can the DSM portray the full range of human suffering?

by Christos Tombras

Painting of a person sitting on a colourful bed in a room with abstract patterns and vibrant colours.
PSYCHOANALYSIS AND THE UNCONSCIOUS

The power of slow therapy, revealed in two pioneering memoirs

Two therapy memoirs by Lucy Freeman, an overlooked mental health pioneer, remind us of the value of slow, convoluted therapy

by Elliot Jurist

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THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIPS

Either/or questions are part of psychotherapy’s language games

When a patient poses a binary question, it’s tempting to give a straight answer, but they are often seeking so much more

by Darren Haber

Silhouetted photo of a family on a wooden pier overlooking a serene lake at sunset.
DRUGS AND PSYCHEDELICS

To learn from a psychedelic trip, explore the dreams that follow

Psychedelic experiences, properly digested, offer opportunities for change – and the dreams that follow them can help

by Mackenzie Amara

Black and white photo of a woman in a dark dress lying on a leather couch, looking upward with one hand on her face.
THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIPS

My failed analysis gave me confidence and taught me when to quit

What does successful psychoanalysis look like? I’d read all around Freud and I didn’t know, but then neither did my analyst

by Lisa Levy

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DIFFICULT EMOTIONS

How to stop emotional eating

Whether compelled by an inner void, loneliness or boredom, psychoanalysis can help you understand why you seek comfort in food

by Nina Savelle-Rocklin

Photo of a man and child seated in a stroller on a beach path surrounded by seagulls with the ocean in the background.
HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF MENTAL HEALTH

For Donald Winnicott, the psyche is not inside us but between us

For Donald Winnicott, your psyche isn’t just in your head – it emerges from your relationships with others and the world

by James Barnes

Ancient terracotta sculpture of a seated figure holding a cup, displayed against a dark background.
PSYCHOANALYSIS AND THE UNCONSCIOUS

Dark feelings will haunt us until they are expressed in words

Continued mental growth requires dealing with alexithymia, or the inability to express emotions through words or images

by Tom Wooldridge