AMIRALI ALIMOHAMMADI
PSYCHOTHERAPIST | RESEARCHER

Frequently Asked Questions

If your question is not among the FAQs below, you can raise it via the contact methods available on the contact page.

Research

Besides being a therapeutic method, psychoanalysis is a method for cultural critique and the study of the psyche; in recent decades, psychoanalysis and free association have also been used in qualitative studies and interviews.
Furthermore, numerous scholars in various branches of the humanities use psychoanalytic approaches to study and explain phenomena.

Psychopolitics, cultural studies, media studies, postcolonial studies, gender studies, discourse analysis, and Middle Eastern studies are among my areas of interest.
Furthermore, research on minority groups and vulnerable groups is among my research interests.

There is potential for collaboration on studies focused on psychoanalysis, politics, and the other areas mentioned in the previous question; if a proposal exists, I would be happy to receive it via the contact methods on the contact page.

Qualitative studies and discourse analysis.

In addition to the publications section on this website, a list of articles is also available on the Google Scholar page.

For this, you can contact me via email by introducing yourself and sending a brief proposal, or you can complete the special research form on the contact page of the website.

Psychoanalysis: General Information

Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is a clinical treatment and a long-term, exploratory process. In this therapy, a space is created with the collaboration of the therapist and the client, allowing the client to express everything that comes to mind in a confidential and non-judgmental environment.

Beyond advice and book-based approaches for relief from clinical symptoms, the focus of psychoanalytic treatment is to help you find the words to describe your experiences, what is problematic for you, and what challenges you face.

Furthermore, we pay attention to the unconscious. Contents such as dreams, slips of the tongue, thoughts, and actions that seem meaningless but, in practice, help you explore important aspects of yourself seeking expression are considered in the psychotherapy.

People may start psychoanalytic sessions for various reasons, including relationship problems, feeling unmotivated, anxiety, depression, and an interest in further self-exploration. Questions about identity or gender, or the feeling that something isn’t quite right, are other reasons for starting sessions. The primary condition for sessions is a willingness to talk and explore.

By carefully following the material you bring to the sessions, we can unravel knots that prevent you from experiencing a more fulfilling and richer life.

Psychotherapy comes in many forms. Short-term approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) primarily aim to eliminate clinical symptoms through exercises and advice. Often, after some time, these symptoms may reappear in a different form.
Psychoanalysis is the original form of talk therapy and has undergone transformations in the last century. In this approach, we look at your life in greater detail to explore the underlying causes of problems. My specific Lacanian approach emphasizes the particular way each individual speaks about themselves. It is a gradual process that enables the client themselves to form more lasting paths for managing their difficulties.

Although you might feel a burden lifted soon after starting sessions, the analytic work generally requires time. The end of the journey is also different for each individual and depends on the process.

Therapy, Therapist, and Client

In addition to adhering to general principles such as a safe space and confidentiality, it is essential that the sessions are client-centered and focused on your needs. It is necessary that if, during the course of the sessions, you notice a feeling or problem concerning the process or the therapist, there is a space where you can address these matters with the therapist themselves and discuss them.

Fundamentally, this question is not relevant. Categorizing psychotherapy approaches based on problem severity is not an appropriate method, as the differences lie more in the perspective on and definition of the problem. In cognitive-behavioral approaches, it is believed that only the symptoms of the problem matter, and they focus on them using various methods. However, based on experience, psychoanalysis holds that focusing superficially on and eliminating the symptom is not desirable, as after some time, our problem reappears in another form.

Ultimately, it is important for psychoanalysis to yield results. Given the time, cost, and energy invested by both client and therapist, psychoanalysis needs to be helpful for the client. However, the common literature focused on growth and personal development has little affinity with psychoanalysis. This discourse, rather than being similar to psychoanalysis, which aims for the client to experience a fulfilling life, is a framework aligned with dominant ideologies that often creates more anxiety and pressure for citizens.

Psychoanalysts and therapists in this field need intensive and standardized training according to the proposed tripartite model of Max Eitingon, one of the founders of the Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute. This includes theoretical education, personal therapy, and clinical work under the supervision of a supervisor to acquire the necessary skills. This treatment method has also been confirmed in empirical studies, and further reading material is available in this section.

Generally, in addition to the points mentioned in the previous answer, which can be asked of the therapist at the beginning of the process, several other factors can be considered beforehand.
First, it’s important to note that psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, in general, are also a long, time-consuming, and specialized process for the therapist themselves. Therefore, a specialist cannot simultaneously practice all therapeutic approaches and be an expert in all of them, as these approaches fundamentally differ in how they define the problem. Furthermore, terms like “relationship therapist,” “divorce therapist,” “infidelity therapist,” etc., do not essentially exist. A therapist claiming expertise in all specialized areas such as parenting, relationships, various approaches, adolescence, etc., is more of a commercial aspect and is a warning sign.

General characteristics like age and gender have little impact on the outcome of therapy. At the beginning of the process, you might prefer to work with a therapist of a specific age or gender, and that is not a problem. However, if after starting the process you feel that the therapist’s age or gender is causing an issue, this itself becomes part of the psychotherapy process, and it is important to address it with them.

In all cases, it is not necessary for the therapist to have a similar experience to the client in order to understand them, and in countless cases, this might not be possible. The preference of the client to speak in their mother tongue with a therapist who is also an immigrant is a different and significant matter.

Generally, psychoanalysis is an opportunity to be with someone and to rethink, sometimes in a different way, one’s feelings, experiences, and personal challenges. Anyone, at any stage of life, might need it.

T&C for Holding Therapy Sessions

My psychoanalytic training and clinical work began based on the Eitingon tripartite model at the Tehran Psychiatric Institute and the Siavoshan Institute. In addition to theoretical training, I have pursued my personal therapy with psychoanalysts from the Association of Persian-Speaking Psychoanalytic Researchers in France, following the Lacanian approach. Furthermore, I have years of experience under individual and group supervision. To understand psychoanalysis and study the works of Freud and Lacan, I learned German and French to gain a more direct understanding of psychoanalysis. As a clinical psychologist, I also hold a specialized license from the Iranian Psychological System Organization.
Academically, I studied Clinical Psychology at Allameh Tabataba’i University and Iran University of Medical Sciences; I am currently also a PhD candidate at the University of Essex, researching my doctoral project focused on psychoanalysis and society.

In my clinical work, I am inclined towards the traditions of Freud and Lacan and critically study their works. Overall, I am influenced by the humanistic movement and the French tradition of institutional psychotherapy, and I am eager to expand therapists’ understanding beyond the therapy room.

Sessions are held once or twice a week depending on your needs and conditions, and each session lasts about 40 minutes. Beyond the hour, the content expressed by the client is what matters and determines when a session ends.

Overall, it is important that there is a balance between an individual’s income and the session cost; my suggested range for each session is £40 to £60, which will be determined in the first session according to circumstances and by each individual’s choice. For students, I offer the possibility of acceptance at a lower cost.

Generally, it is important that no interruptions occur in the course of sessions except for essential reasons; however, when necessary, a session can be cancelled with prior notice up to 24 hours before the scheduled time.
Sessions that are not cancelled more than one day (24 hours) in advance will be charged in full.

Currently, I only have the capacity to accept clients online, and sessions are held via video call on Google Meet, Teams, and WhatsApp.

At the beginning of the therapeutic work with me, preliminary assessment sessions are held to evaluate the suitability of this approach for each individual.

To book an assessment session, you can proceed via the contact methods on the contact page.