Welcome
If you are considering therapy, psychoanalysis, arts and career counseling, or would just like to learn more, I want to welcome you to this website and to acquaint you with a little of my philosophy and how I work.
The fact that you are visiting this site may mean that you are curious about psychoanalysis or therapy, or it may be that you are having difficulties-- family pressures, relationship concerns or confusion. You may feel you need some support as you manage work or career demands. You may be in the midst of exciting but tumultuous life changes--parenting or a new and confusing relationship. You may have had a loss you can't find your way through, or you may be struggling to attend to unfulfilled aspirations. Or you may be having emotions you don’t understand, a sense of isolation, fear or anxiety, a sense that you are shut out of a group you would like to be connected to.
Each individual is different, of course, but psychotherapy is often very helpful when people feel they are not free, not free to make the choices they would want to make, not free to be as they would like to be. A sense of freedom comes from what I call “the creative basis of the personality." This central part of the personality is in each of us—it is the most vital, but at the same time, most vulnerable part of us.
We are born with a natural desire to create reality as we wish it to be, and through this desire we indeed impact on the world in real ways. Art, skyscrapers, scientific theories, friendships and romances are built on a creative dream, a fantasy emanating from our human, artistic nature. Without a fantasy of what we want, we are not likely to go about securing what we want and we begin to feel trapped or imprisoned. Computers and computer programs also emanate from this creative place and the desire to click onto this website as well as my desire to have you visit are all thanks to our access to the creative basis of the personality which has create d the fantasy of connecting.
Symptoms and the meanings they contain.
Symptoms, such as anxiety or depression, are signposts of important needs that have not yet been understood and so have not yet been met. As a psychoanalyst, it is my job to talk with people and help them understand what the underlying need might be and help create a fantasy about the need so that it becomes something attainable in appropriate ways.
Symptoms are also complex ways we have found to protect this central "creative basis of the personalyt" from intrusion, domination or hurt. As such they are very important to us, even though they may cause discomfort. Psychoanalysis is a method, through two people talking, of finding less taxing forms of protection so that fears, depression, or repetitive and compulsive attempts at safety can become less necessary. When you feel safer your natural striving towards freedom will move you into the life you want.
What you will find here
Throughout this site you will find specific information about my philosophy, my experience, what past experiences I bring to my work as a psychoanalyst and therapist, what sorts of problems therapy can address successfully and several ways to contact me if you should wish to. Please browse through and feel free to contact me by phone or email for any additional information you would like or to schedule an appointment.
Below is a list of topics and where to find them. Or you can just browse through the different pages by clicking on the menu, in the right side bar above.
Under Services Provided find:
Symptoms, such as depression, eating disorders, anxiety, etc
LGBTQ--Individual, couples and family therapy or counseling.
ADD, ADHD, learning differences, developmental delays.
Child placement, counseling and adoption counseling--
counseling for all members of the adoption triad.
Under Psychoanalysis--What is it? find:
Psychoanalysis today.
A confusion of terms: what's the difference between psychoanalysis,
psychotherapy, therapy, psychiatry and counseling?
How often is often enough?
Under About Josie Oppenheim and Some Background find:
My philosophy.
My credentials.
My background.