Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis didn’t begin as a calm, polite academic theory. It started as a bold, controversial, slightly shocking revolution led by a man named Sigmund Freud.

Today, Freud is part genius, part meme. You hear people jokingly say things like “oh Freudian slip” when we’ve embarrassingly said an ex’s name or “Tell me about your mother,” without ever having actually read a page of Freud. But even if you've never opened a psychology book, you have absolutely felt Freud’s influence - in movies, therapy, everyday language, and basically any conversation about “why we do the weird things we do.”

This article walks you through the entire evolution of psychoanalysis from Freud’s early couch-based sessions to modern psychodynamic therapy and explains why this old-school theory is still relevant, kind of.

Let’s begin with the basics.

What Is Psychoanalysis? A Simple Definition

Before diving into the drama, splits, and scientific rebellions, it helps to understand the psychoanalysis meaning and Sigmund Freud theory.

In its original form:

Psychoanalysis = A method of exploring the unconscious mind to understand hidden thoughts, repressed memories, and emotional conflicts.

Freud believed that the mind is like an iceberg. The little bit you’re aware of is just the tip. The rest, the giant submerged chunk, holds your unconscious fears, desires, and childhood experiences that secretly influence your adult life.

So when people ask:

“What is psychoanalysis, exactly?”

Here’s the simplest answer:

It’s a talking-based therapy that tries to uncover the deeper “why” behind your thoughts, emotions, and behaviour especially the stuff you don’t consciously notice.

That’s the essence of the psychoanalytic theory by Sigmund Freud, which later evolved into dozens of schools and therapies. And while the term “psychoanalyst” originally referred only to someone trained in Freudian techniques, today it includes clinicians from a variety of psychodynamic traditions.

Why Freud Mattered: A Crash Course in the Freudian Revolution

Love him or laugh at him, Freud changed everything.

Before Freud, mental health was dominated by:

• hypnosis

• spiritual ideas

• moral theories

• early psychiatry focused mainly on biology

Freud walked in and said, essentially:

“What if your mental symptoms come from unconscious emotions, childhood wounds, and conflicts you don’t even know you have?”

This was wild in the 1890s.

Freud developed the core psychoanalytic model, which included ideas like:

1. The mind has layers

Conscious, preconscious, unconscious.

2. We are driven by hidden desires

Some embarrassing.Some aggressive.Some confusing.(All very human.)

3. Early childhood shapes adult personality

Your family patterns echo through your adult relationships.

4. Dreams have meaning

They’re the “royal road” to the unconscious.

5. Symptoms express unresolved emotional conflicts

If you repress something, it leaks out sideways: anxiety, avoidance, weird dreams, strange habits.

These became the foundation of Freudian psychoanalysis - a method that quickly transformed psychology, medicine, art, literature, pop culture, and the way regular people talked about themselves.

Freud wasn’t just creating a therapy. He was creating an entire vocabulary for understanding human nature.

The Freudian Concept of the Mind (Explained Like You’re New to Psychology)

Most people have heard the terms:

• id

• ego

• superego

This Freudian concept trio is basically Freud’s way of describing the internal tug-of-war inside your head.

The Id

Your instinctual, impulsive “I want it now” energy.

The Ego

Your rational, realistic “Let’s not get arrested today” manager.

The Superego

Your internal parent, judge, or moral voice.

This model explained for the first time why humans are full of contradictions.We want one thing, fear another, and behave in ways that don’t always make sense.

Even if modern neuroscience has updated this idea, it remains one of the most culturally influential psychological frameworks ever created.

Inside the First Psychoanalytic Therapy Sessions

Imagine the scene:

• A couch

• A patient lying down

• Freud sitting behind them, out of view

• Long silences

• Free-flowing associations

• Years of analysis

• Three to five sessions a week

That was classical psychoanalytic therapy.

The goal wasn’t quick symptom relief. It was a deep insight, digging into your unconscious until hidden patterns reached the surface.

This early form of psychoanalysis helped shape:

• dream interpretation

• free association

• analysis of slips and jokes

• understanding of defence mechanisms

For some people, this was life-changing. For others, expensive. For many scientists, frustratingly untestable.

But whether you love classical analysis or not, you can’t deny its legacy: it created the entire profession of modern talk therapy.

The Psychoanalytic Boom and the First Big Drama

Psychoanalysis spread fast.

• Freud formed underground clubs, then institutes.

• Analysts trained in Vienna, Zurich, Berlin, London, New York.

• Ideas spilled into philosophy, film, art, literature, marketing.

But like any bold theory, it didn’t take long for fights to break out.

Carl Jung said: “Freud is too obsessed with sex.”He broke away and created analytical psychology.

Alfred Adler said: “It’s not all about childhood and libido.”He developed individual psychology.

Freud then published a book basically saying:“If you disagree with me, you’re not a true psychoanalyst.”

Psychoanalysis has always been brilliant, dramatic, and very human, much like the psyche it tries to understand.

Decline of Freudian Psychoanalysis: Science Strikes Back

By the mid-20th century, researchers started asking inconvenient questions:

• How do we test the unconscious scientifically?

• How do we prove dream symbols mean anything?

• Why did Freud base his theories on a small group of wealthy European patients?

Suddenly, the scientific community began distancing itself.

New therapies emerged:

• Behaviour Therapy

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

• Humanistic therapy

• Short-term psychodynamic therapy

People wanted faster results, fewer years on the couch, and clearer methods.

Freud’s original model started looking, well… old hat.

But psychoanalysis didn’t die, no, no, no; it evolved.

From Classical Psychoanalysis to Modern Psychodynamic Therapy

Just like Darwin’s finches changed over time (Freud loved Darwin, by the way), psychoanalysis adapted to survive.

Modern theories moved away from Freud’s focus on instinct and drives and leaned toward relationships.

Object Relations & Attachment Theory

These models emphasised:

• emotional bonds

• early caregiving

• internalised relationship patterns

• attachment styles

Therapists began viewing psychological symptoms as rooted in relationships rather than just unconscious drives.

Relational & Interpersonal Psychoanalysis

Therapists stopped pretending to be blank slates.They acknowledged their feelings and real connection with clients.

This shift made therapy:

• warmer

• more collaborative

• more human

Short-Term Psychodynamic Therapy

Modern therapy is often:

• structured

• 12 to 40 sessions

• collaborative

• goal-focused

This is psychoanalysis updated for everyday life.

Today’s psychoanalyst is nothing like the silent figure of early Freudian psychoanalysis. Instead, they are informed by attachment science, emotional development, trauma studies, and even neuroscience.

What Modern Psychology Still Owes to Freud

Even critics admit Freud’s influence is enormous.

1. The unconscious is real

Neuroscience confirms that much of mental life is unconscious.

2. Childhood matters

Attachment research supports Freud’s intuition.

3. Defence mechanisms exist

Denial, projection, and repression are now mainstream concepts.

4. Talking helps

Freud invented talk therapy.

5. The therapeutic relationship matters

Freud called it transference.Today we call it a therapeutic alliance, and it predicts therapy success.

Even when Freud was wrong, he was productively wrong; he made others ask better questions.

Why Freud Is Considered “Old Hat” (Fair Criticisms)

Let’s be honest: Freud got a lot wrong.

• He overemphasised sexuality.

• His methods weren’t scientific.

• His sample was narrow.

• Some ideas were more imaginative than evidence-based.

But here’s the paradox:

Freud is outdated AND essential.Every modern psychological theory stands partly in his shadow.

Psychoanalysis Today: A Diverse, Evolving, Surprisingly Modern Field

Modern psychoanalysis includes:

• attachment-based therapy

• relational models

• interpersonal approaches

• trauma-informed psychodynamic therapy

• short-term psychodynamic treatments

• integrated psychodynamic/CBT approaches

It’s more culturally aware, more scientific, more relational, and more flexible than anything Freud could have imagined.

Why Psychoanalysis Still Matters in 2025

Even in the age of apps, AI, and bite-sized mental health tips, people still crave deep understanding.

People still ask:

• Why do my relationships repeat the same patterns?

• Why do certain conflicts trigger me so much?

• Why do I sabotage myself?

• Why do childhood experiences echo through adult life?

• Why do emotions sometimes feel overwhelming - or strangely distant?

These aren’t surface-level issues.They require depth, exploration, and meaning, the territory of modern psychodynamic therapy.

The Takeaway: Freud Started the Journey - We’re Still On It

• Psychoanalysis revolutionised our understanding of the mind.

• Its early form is outdated, but its core insights endure.

• Modern psychodynamic therapy is flexible, evidence-informed, and profoundly human.

• Freud may be “old hat,” but he’s also a legend whose ideas transformed culture forever.

Understanding the mind is a lifelong adventure.

How Pleso Therapy Therapists Can Support You

The evolution of psychoanalysis shows that while theories change, the human need for insight and emotional understanding stays the same. Psychotherapists on the Pleso platform are trained in modern psychodynamic and relational approaches that help you understand patterns, explore emotions, and work through past experiences that still shape your present.

If you're looking to start online therapy, our personalised matching tool will help you find the best therapist for your needs and goals.