psychoanalyst
psychoanalysts
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.
Definitions of psychoanalyst
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a licensed practitioner of psychoanalysis
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synonyms:
analyst
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examples:
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Sigmund Freud
Austrian neurologist who originated psychoanalysis (1856-1939)
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Melanie Klein
United States psychoanalyst (born in Austria) who was the first to specialize in the psychoanalysis of small children (1882-1960)
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Wilhelm Reich
Austrian born psychoanalyst who lived in the United States; advocated sexual freedom and believed that cosmic energy could be concentrated in a human being (1897-1957)
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type of:
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head-shrinker, psychiatrist, shrink
a physician who specializes in psychiatry
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Sigmund Freud
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘psychoanalyst'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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