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Psychoanalysis and the unconscious

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Ancient terracotta sculpture of a seated figure holding a cup, displayed against a dark background.

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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

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

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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

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

Drugs and psychedelics

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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

A child in a red shirt sits at a desk with a black and white cat. Sunlight and shadows create an intricate pattern through the window.

Psychoanalysis and the unconscious

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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

Etching of nude figures dancing and playing instruments under trees, with a building in the background.

History of psychology and psychiatry

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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

An elderly man holding a pipe sits in a study with books and papers on the desk and stained-glass windows in the background.

Psychoanalysis and the unconscious

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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 person sitting on a colourful bed in a room with abstract patterns and vibrant colours.

Psychoanalysis and the unconscious

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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

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

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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

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

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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

Photo of a performer singing surrounded by a group of dancers in red hooded outfits on stage under dramatic lighting.

Therapeutic relationships

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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

Hands holding a vintage wristwatch with a white face, black numerals, and a mesh metal strap against a dark background.

Self-harm and suicide

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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

Black and white drawing of swirling smoke and flames rising from the ground, bordered by a rough square outline.

The self

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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