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View synonyms for psychoanalysis
psychoanalysis
[ sahy-koh-uh-nal-uh-sis ]
noun
- a systematic structure of theories concerning the relation of conscious and unconscious psychological processes.
- a technical procedure for investigating unconscious mental processes and for treating psychoneuroses.
psychoanalysis
/ ˌsaɪkəʊˌænəˈlɪtɪk; ˌsaɪkəʊəˈnælɪsɪs; ˌsaɪkəʊˈænəlɪst /
noun
- a method of studying the mind and treating mental and emotional disorders based on revealing and investigating the role of the unconscious mind
psychoanalysis
- A method of treating mental illness, originating with Sigmund Freud , in which a psychiatrist (analyst) helps a patient discover and confront the causes of the illness. Many psychiatrists believe that these causes are buried deep in the unconscious of the patient and can be brought to the surface through such techniques as hypnosis and the analysis of dreams. Psychoanalysis emphasizes that mental illness usually originates in repressed sexual desires or traumas in childhood.
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Notes
Psychoanalysis is sometimes simply called analysis.
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Derived Forms
- psychoanalytic, adjective
- ˌpsychoˌanaˈlytically, adverb
- psychoanalyst, noun
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Other Words From
- psy·cho·an·a·lyt·ic [sahy-koh-an-l-, it, -ik], psy·cho·an·a·lyt·i·cal [sahy-koh-an-l-, it, -i-k, uh, l], adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of psychoanalysis1
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