For many people, stepping into the unknown of seeking psychological assistance is in itself anxiety making. It may be more helpful that before embarking on treatment, the individual considers a full and thorough clinical assessment with one of the highly experienced BPA assessors, to explore as to whether analysis is the best way forward for them, or not.

The length and frequency of sessions of treatment vary according to the individual but can start slowly and build up gradually and last for a number of years.

Psychoanalysis usually consists of sessions 4 or 5 times weekly and psychoanalytic psychotherapy can vary from 1 to 3 times weekly. Most analysts work with both approaches according to the needs of the individual.

The costs of sessions also vary and financial circumstances are all part of the assessment process. It will be the responsibility of the Consultant to arrange the referral onwards to a suitable qualified psychoanalytic practitioner with a recommendation of frequency or to recommend an alternative treatment approach where appropriate.

Who is psychoanalysis for?

Psychoanalysis is an effective psychological treatment for people whose difficulties range from mild to moderate to severe. Talking to a psychoanalyst in a secure environment can reveal underlying unconscious causes and promote understanding and alleviation.

If you experience any of the following:

  • psychic pain, unease, or symptoms you don’t understand
  • disturbed mood, manifesting as depression, anxiety or anger
  • a sense of detachment, loneliness, or emptiness within
  • patterns of repeated difficulties in work, love or friendships
  • self-destructive patterns towards self and others in relationships
  • suffering from feelings of doubt, guilt, inner conflict, or low self-esteem
  • Looking for a more exploratory and deeper approach than other therapies you may have attempted in the past
  • sexual difficulties, obsessions, or physical symptoms
  • a feeling of not being able to reach your potential
  • a sense of having lost your way or sense of self
  • a wish to develop a greater capacity to think or to feel, to achieve a deeper understanding of self
  • a history of trauma, including loss and bereavement 

Contact us

All enquiries should be made by email to clinicalservice@psychoanalysis-bpa.org or please contact the clinic administrator, Joyce Samuel-Ouadjo on +44 (0)7552 917114.

Consultation process: How it works and what to expect

  • An initial phone conversation will be conducted with a member of Clinical Services to ascertain details of the enquiry, in order to assess whether the Service can meet and offer the type of help being sought.

  • If the enquiry goes on to the next stage, you will be put in contact with one of our Clinical Consultants. You will be offered two separate meetings, lasting up to 90 minutes each. The meetings are exploratory (without any obligation to go forward) to think together about the nature of the difficulties and to offer an introduction to the psychoanalytic experience and process.

  • At the end of the two Consultations, after close discussion with you, a recommendation will be made as to what is felt to be clinically in your best interest. If it emerges during the Consultation that you would be best served by another form of treatment this will be discussed and other options suggested.

  • Analysis is a highly individualised and personal treatment. It is a process of longer-term, deep therapy, and is not a quick-fix solution.

  • If the decision is to go forward into psychoanalytic treatment, the Consultant will contact Clinical Service, who will endeavour to match you with an appropriate Analyst. Issues of fees, frequency of sessions and timing are arranged privately between you and analyst. In order to make the match, these issues will have been initially explored during the Consultations.

  • The fee for each consultation is £100. A total of £200 is paid online to the Consultant on completion of the two meetings.

BPA analysts

The BPA is a member of the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC), which is the professional registration body for training institutions and professional associations, monitoring the standards of selection, training and practice for psychoanalytic psychotherapists and psychoanalysts.

All members of the BPA are bound by the Association’s ethical code, together with that of the BPC, which ensures that the patient’s confidentiality is preserved and individual autonomy is respected.

Members are also bound by the BPA Equal Opportunities Policy which ensures that no discrimination is made on the basis of ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation.