In psychonalysis, one is invited to say whatever comes to mind, no matter how random, unimportant, or disconnected it may seem. There’s no need to filter your thoughts or worry about how they might sound. Even the thoughts that feel irrelevant or uncomfortable may have meaning and can open a pathway to what might otherwise remain hidden. This is the process of free association.

The unconscious speaks in ways we don’t always expect—through fragments of memories, images, sensations, or even slips of the tongue. By speaking freely, without censoring yourself, we allow these unconscious elements to emerge. 

If you enter into psychoanalysis, try not to worry about whether you’re making sense; trust that whatever comes up may be saying something, even if it seems trivial or odd. Psychoanalysis subverts judgment and, radically, is instead about listening intently to follow where your words take us, and to help explore what is insisting to be spoken.

If you feel stuck, even acknowledging that is valuable. Free association is not about finding the ‘right’ words; it’s about letting the process unfold, allowing thoughts to emerge without preconception. Over time, patterns and connections may start to reveal themselves, and together, we will explore what these associations point to in your life.

What about the couch?

Everyone begins sitting up, facing their analyst, but over time, one might move to the couch. When you lie on the couch and don’t see the analyst, it helps take away the concern about how the analyst might be reacting, their body language, or expressions. It gives you a chance to focus inward, tuning into your own thoughts and feelings without worrying about how you’re being perceived. This allows space for you to listen more closely to the unconscious, to the things that might otherwise stay hidden.

Today, on the virtual couch, a similar effect in different ways. Different analysts practice in different ways, but one option is for you to lie on your couch with your mobile device facing you, keeping both our videos on. Alternatively, in a session, analysts may turn their video off to simulate the effect of the couch. Many people also prefer phone calls. The point is finding what is most comfortable for you to create that space for your unconscious to speak through free association, while creating a container for this speech.

The virtual couch can also help people relax and enter a more introspective state, where unconscious material has a chance to surface more freely. In this way, I can also make it easier for the analyst to listen closely to what is emerging in your speech, and instead of being caught up in giving visual feedback or reassurance, to intervene when something important comes up in what you’re saying, to highlight or disrupt unconscious patterns.

The couch is then symbolic, also marking this space as different from everyday life—a place where a unique kind of work happens. It signals that this is a time set aside to explore deeper layers of what’s going on within you.

Want to learn more?

Click here to learn more about Lacanian Psychoanalysis

Click here to learn more about interpreting dreams.

Click here to hear more about scansion.

You can email me directly through this page or leave a short voicemail to (341) 230-1740; I usually respond within 24 hours.