Psychoanalysis & psychoanalytic psychotherapy in Vienna

Psychoanalysis is a depth-psychological form of psychotherapy. It assumes that much of what weighs on us in everyday life has its origin in unconscious experiences, wishes and inner conflicts that are not immediately accessible to us.

At its heart is free conversation: you say whatever comes to mind, without ordering or judging it beforehand. It is precisely in this open speaking that the patterns, feelings and inner images at work in the background gradually come to light.

How the work functions at its core:

• together we listen for what lies hidden behind symptoms and recurring themes
• unconscious connections become understandable step by step
• from this understanding comes a change that truly holds

How a course of therapy unfolds in practice, you can read below under How it works.

A common prejudice says that psychoanalysis is dusty or "a thing of the past". The opposite is true: it is one of the longest-researched psychotherapeutic methods and has continuously evolved over more than a century.

In Austria, analytic psychotherapy is one of the legally recognised psychotherapy methods. Modern psychoanalytic work is not the cliché of the silent therapist, but a lively, dialogue-based process.

What makes it so valuable precisely today:

• it looks at the causes, not just the symptoms
• it takes time for what truly lies beneath
• it often carries exactly when faster approaches have not led far enough

Whether this path suits you, we find out together in the free first interview.

"Psychotherapy" is the umbrella term for all recognised methods that treat emotional distress through conversation. Psychoanalysis is one of these methods, at the same time the oldest and one of the most thorough.

The difference lies above all in depth and focus:

• psychoanalysis asks about the unconscious roots, takes its time and works in depth
• other forms of psychotherapy often start more directly at the symptom or at concrete behaviour

In my practice I work consistently in a psychoanalytically grounded way. This stance also flows into couples therapy, because it helps to truly understand recurring patterns instead of merely soothing them.

Both are recognised and effective paths, they simply approach an issue from different sides.

Behavioural therapy usually focuses on the here and now: it works in a targeted way on thoughts and behaviours, often with exercises and clear techniques, and is frequently shorter in scope.

Psychoanalysis, by contrast, asks why a pattern arose in the first place. It gets to the bottom of the unconscious causes instead of only addressing the symptom, and therefore often works more deeply and more lastingly.

Which path suits you depends on your concern and your pace. In the free first interview we find that out together.

Psychoanalysis is suitable for everyone who is looking not just for quick relief, but who wants to truly understand themselves and change something for good.

It is especially helpful with issues such as:

• recurring anxieties, panic or depressive moods
• relationship and family patterns that keep repeating
• life crises, turning points and questions of self-worth and identity
• a vague feeling that something is not right, without a clear trigger

You don't need a "finished" question to bring along. The willingness to engage in an open process is enough. Whether the work feels right for you, we clarify without obligation in the free first interview.

Yes. Anxiety, panic and depressive moods are among the most common concerns with which people come into psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

The difference from purely symptom-oriented approaches: we don't just calm the complaints, but ask what lies behind them. Often anxiety or low spirits are a signal for something deeper that has so far been given no space.

As this deeper layer becomes understandable, the symptom gradually loses its power, and a change emerges that lasts. Write to me if this resonates with you.

An honest answer: yes, sometimes feelings or memories surface that occupy you for a while. That is not a step backwards, but often a sign that we are working on something essential.

What matters is the framework. Such themes do not appear in a vacuum, but in a protected, non-judgemental setting in which we make sense of them together, at your pace and never more than is bearable in the moment.

That is exactly what the support is there for: so that you do not meet difficult themes alone, but understand what they are trying to tell you.

There is no blanket answer, because the duration depends on your concern. Some themes are clarified within a few months, deeper-lying processes take longer, because real change needs time.

As for the framework:

• a single session usually lasts 50 minutes, a little longer if needed
• we meet in a regular rhythm that we set together
• you have a say at every step in how far the path should go

So you are not entering an open-ended commitment. We keep looking together at what does you good.

In my practice the services are billed privately; I do not offer direct settlement with the statutory health insurance.

The advantage of a private setting: full confidentiality, free choice of appointments and no entries with the health insurance, which matters to many people precisely in such a personal process.

Any further questions about the organisational framework we clarify openly in the free first interview.

Yes. Many people value online psychotherapy, because it is location-independent, flexible and just as confidential as a conversation in person.

We meet via WhatsApp video call or Jitsi Meet, whichever you prefer. You only need a quiet room and a stable internet connection, the rest we arrange calmly beforehand.

In English and Russian especially, this is how I also reach people outside Vienna. You can read more on the online therapy page.