Can anyone say there a Psychoanalyst?

Question

I can't find any Canadian law that states what's needed to be a Psychoanalyst. Can anyone be one?

Answer 1

Usually the term "psychoanalyst" can refer to anyone whereas "psychotherapist", "psychologist", and "psychiatrist" refers to persons who had to meet specific credentialing requirements including (but not limited to) completion of a graduate level degree and supervised hours of case work

Answer 2

Psychoanalyst is actually a type of psychologist. Psychoanalysis follows a very precise form of therapy which basically entails a long-term dialogical relationship between therapist and patient. The short answer to your question is that no, it would be unethical to call yourself a psychoanalyst if you do not have at least a master's of clinical psychology, or the Canadian equivalent. I know in the states you must pass an exam in addition to academic coursework in order to be certified by the APA. I'm certain Canada has a similar association and they would probably have more detailed information.

Answer 3

For certain persistent and difficult problems that often have to do with very bad unconscious habits and/or very strained and difficult interpersonal relations, yes, seeing a psychoanalyst is worth the cost. But you must have the budget for 4-5 $100+ sessions per week. Some analysts may not require the 4-5 times per week, but they will then tell you that you are not really having an analysis, just psychoanalytic therapy. I am seeing such a therapist. I am seeing him for self-improvement/relief from some long-standing but relatively mild issues and because I myself am working to become a good psychotherapist, and to do that you need maximal self-awareness. He is not an orthodox psychoanalyst but he does many of the same things using the same ideas. Analysis and/or analytic therapy is a way to meet parts of yourself that you are completely or partially unaware of--parts that your friends and family are not well-trained enough to put consisely and empathically into words. Also, there are some even deeper parts of us that may need to be met and acknowledged that even your friends and family may not know about or understand (partly because you don't). The idea is to broaden your awareness into a solid theory about youself that will also include the parts of you that you are already aware of. As I said, severe symptoms, particularly chronic ones, are the main reason most see an analyst, although some wealthy persons do so simply to 'know themselves better.' But you really have to want it, not just see an analyst because it's fashionable. I think that most who say analysis didn't work after 5 years, etc, probably were not really wanting to change, or their particular analyst was unethical and did not want to lose a client. It can be very scary to go as deep as analysts can, so many actually place the responsibility on the analyst when really he/she is just a guide--a very well-trained one. Finally, be aware that analysis has changed, and younger and/or more open-minded practitioners adhere to a much more open, flexible, and interpersonal approach that many people find much more appealing. Yet, such new analysts still address the "deep stuff." So if you're serious, try to find someone who calls themselves a 'contemporary' or 'relational' or 'intersubjective' analyst.

Answer 4

I can't say that I'm a psychoanalyst but I do know that the word is "they're" not "there". I don't know anything about Canadian law but a psychoanalyst is a psychiatrist of the Freudian school of psychology. They have "their" own standards of of who qualifies to be a psychoanalyst.