Psychoanalysis is a way of understanding how our minds work, especially the parts we’re not fully aware of. Imagine your mind like an iceberg — the part above water is your conscious mind (what you know and think about), but the big part underwater is your unconscious mind. That’s where hidden thoughts, memories, and feelings live, even ones you’ve forgotten or tried to ignore. Sometimes these hidden feelings cause problems, like being really upset and not knowing why.
Psychoanalysis helps people talk about their thoughts and feelings so they can find out what’s hiding underneath. Inside your mind, you have the id (your wants and instincts), the ego (the part that thinks and decides), and the superego (your inner rule-keeper). These parts sometimes fight, and your mind uses defense mechanisms, like denial or projection, to handle the stress.
In therapy, you might also notice transference, where you start to feel about your therapist the way you feel about someone else. By talking through all this, psychoanalysis helps people understand themselves better and feel more in control. It’s like being a detective of your own mind!