Treatment with psychotherapy—or with psychoanalysis, an intensive form of therapy—helps many people find solutions to problems in their relationships and personal lives. Just as importantly, participating in therapy, and psychoanalysis in particular, can also lead to the discovery of new possibilities in experiencing and living life.

In therapy you can resolve unsatisfying, repetitive patterns of thinking and behaving. Gradually, you learn more effective ways of satisfying your needs and building good relationships.

• Many people have trouble meeting important life goals such as success in romance or career advancement. Therapy can help clarify and dispel the thoughts and feelings that hold you back.

• When specific symptoms of anxiety or depression disrupt day-to-day functioning, therapy can help quell these symptoms and restore productivity and a sense of well-being. Beyond symptoms, therapy can also address a long-standing sense of dissatisfaction, self-doubt or uncertainty.

Therapy is a place for personal growth as well as solving problems. Over time, you come to more fully know and express an authentic sense of yourself. You find an increased capacity to give and accept love, to feel the full range of emotions, and to make the most of your talents and your creativity. Turning toward your inner life with a willingness to explore a territory that can never be fully known, you may encounter a deep, unexpected satisfaction.

Of course, therapy isn’t easy. The help of a skilled therapist can be crucial, but working through personal issues requires courage and persistence. The potential benefits make these efforts well worthwhile.

About psychotherapy