Our practice is grounded in the psychoanalytic tradition founded by Sigmund Freud and developed by Jacques Lacan. This approach recognizes the central importance of the unconscious in psychic life and the role of language in the constitution of the subject.

The foundations of psychoanalysis

The unconscious is structured like a language

According to Lacan, "the unconscious is structured like a language." This means that our symptoms, dreams, slips of the tongue, and parapraxes carry meaning. In psychoanalysis, we work with what is manifested in your speech in order to access these unconscious meanings.

The symptom as message

The symptom is not simply something to be eliminated. It is a message from the unconscious, an attempt to resolve a psychic conflict. By understanding the meaning of the symptom, we can find more satisfying ways of managing psychic tensions.

The therapeutic relationship

The relationship between therapist and client (the transference) is at the heart of the therapeutic process. It is within this relationship that unconscious patterns are re-enacted, allowing them to be identified and worked through. The therapist adopts a stance of attentive, neutral listening — without judgment or advice.

How does psychoanalytic therapy unfold?

1. The initial consultation

We offer a free 15-minute phone consultation to discuss your needs and determine whether our approach is right for you. If you decide to continue, we schedule a first meeting.

2. The first sessions

The first sessions are used to establish the therapeutic frame and explore your difficulties. We discuss your expectations, your history, and what brings you into therapy. This is also a time to establish a therapeutic alliance.

3. The therapeutic process

In psychoanalysis, you are invited to speak freely about whatever comes to mind (free association). The therapist listens attentively and intervenes to punctuate, question, or interpret what is said. Gradually, unconscious patterns emerge and can be worked through.

4. The duration of therapy

The length of therapy varies according to your needs and goals. Some people come for a few months, others for several years. There is no predetermined duration. Therapy ends when you feel you have reached your goals and are ready to continue on your own.

Key Lacanian concepts

The Real, the Symbolic, and the Imaginary

Lacan proposes three registers for understanding human experience: the Real (what escapes symbolization), the Symbolic (language and social structures), and the Imaginary (identifications and images of the self). Therapy works at the intersection of these three registers.

Desire and lack

For Lacan, desire is fundamental to the human being. It arises from a structural lack that can never be fully filled. The aim of analysis is not to eliminate desire or lack, but to allow the subject to reconnect with their own desire, beyond the demands of the Other.

The Other and subjectivity

Our subjectivity is constituted in relation to the Other (significant figures, language, culture). We are not autonomous individuals but subjects constituted by and within language. Therapy explores how our relation to the Other structures our experience.

To better understand the origin and trajectory of these concepts, see our biography of Jacques Lacan.

Who is psychoanalysis for?

Psychoanalysis is well suited to people who:

•Wish to understand the underlying causes of their difficulties
•Are looking for more than symptomatic relief
•Are ready to commit to a process of self-exploration
•Have questions about their identity, their relationships, or their desire
•Want to develop a greater capacity for self-reflection

Psychoanalysis is not suited to acute crisis situations that require immediate intervention. In those cases, we can refer you to appropriate resources.

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The Lacanian psychoanalytic approach