Who Is a Psychoanalyst?

Psychoanalysts are experienced mental health professionals who have mastered psychoanalytic methods and theories. Psychoanalysts help you, with perseverance, to enable you to understand the deep unconscious part of your mind, to make your life better, meaningful, and worthwhile.

To be qualified as a psychoanalyst by the Japan Psychoanalytic Society, psychoanalytic candidates must be already qualified as a medical doctor and/or a clinical psychologist. This is the basic academic and clinical requirement. After they are approved as candidates, they undergo psychoanalytic training for several years. In other words, they undergo personal analysis sessions, attend seminars on psychoanalysis, and analyze at least two patients under supervision.

Psychoanalysts work not only as psychoanalytic practitioners but also as researchers, writers, lecturers, teachers, clinicians and consultants in many social areas.

Caution: The term "psychoanalyst" is not protected or designated by law in Japan; anyone, even an untrained person, may use the title. It is therefore important to check a practitioner's credentials before beginning treatment.