Psychoanalysis in Practice-Frequently Asked Questions

What I recommend is to favour intensity over duration. A psychoanalysis lasting three years at twice a week is far more effective than twelve years at once a fortnight — even though the total number of sessions may be similar. There is no predetermined length, because each person's process unfolds differently. What I can say is that psychoanalysis, by addressing the root of suffering rather than its surface, tends to save time in the long run — though I am a psychoanalyst, not a fortune-teller.

This is an old debate which would require hours of discussions. Speaking about “therapy” entails to focus on solving the symptoms. But based on my experience, this strategy can be counterproductive as some mechanisms of psychological constraint could enjoy to simply antagonize your sincere will to cure. When it’s about psychic pain unfortunately there are no shortcuts.

The question of money in psychoanalysis is not a simple one — it carries unconscious weight and is part of what we may come to explore. I do not publish a fixed rate because the fee is discussed individually, taking into account the frequency of sessions and each person's situation. In certain circumstances, adjusted fees can be arranged. I would rather have this conversation in person — feel free to get in touch.

This is something I hear, and it matters. A previous experience that felt ineffective or even harmful is not just frustrating, it can make the idea of starting again feel unbearable. I take this seriously, and it will be part of what we address together. You will not be asked to simply repeat your story from scratch. What psychoanalysis offers is a different kind of listening, one that may reach what a previous approach could not. That said, I do not work on isolated behavioural goals such as quitting smoking or managing a single symptom. My work as a psychoanalyst engages with what lies beneath.

Yes. I conduct sessions in English and in French. I am also continuously developing my Latvian, though my clinical work relies on a depth of language that I can currently offer fully in English and French. For child therapy, which is largely based on symbolic and non-verbal work, the language of the session is less of a constraint — I work with children regardless of their mother tongue, in close collaboration with parents throughout the process.

You may not know and that is perfectly fine. Most people who begin a psychoanalysis do not arrive with certainty. They come with questions, discomfort, or a sense that something in their life has reached a limit. I invite you to read more about what to expect from the process or what psychoanalysis is or book a session to find out.