A psychoanalyst is a mental health professional who works with clients over a long period of time to get at the root causes of their emotional and mental problems.
Ever since Sigmund Freud first developed his theories of psychoanalysis in the 1890s, its practitioners, known as psychoanalysts, have helped people explore the origins of their mental states. Unlike other kinds of therapists, psychoanalysts tend to focus on dreams and childhood memories and traumas, and they use techniques meant to tap into a client's subconscious. A psychoanalyst is often called an analyst for short.