Román Yumatov, M.A., LP

18/05/2021

23/09/2020

The essence of the process of psychoanalysis.

10/06/2020

This is a traditional Buddhist saying that was popularized by Haruki Murakami. Similarly, Freud once stated that the goal of psychoanalysis is to convert “neurotic misery” (tremendous and exhausting suffering) into “common unhappiness” (the ordinary, inevitable pain of being human, existing in an imperfect world, alongside other flawed humans).

The promise of good-enough analysis (or therapy) is therefore NOT to “fix” or “get rid of” unpleasant emotions, wishes, desires, thoughts, behaviors, experiences or people — rather, the goal is that, through expressing and understanding one’s self better, one will grow to tolerate the ordinary pain of being human, while not necessarily engaging into unnecessary suffering.