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Psychotherapy

A spawn of psychoanalysis (with less fixation on the anal—sorry, Freud), this practice combines a focus on the unconscious with more tangible information (like, you know, what happened to you today). Ami B. Kaplan, LCSW, psychotherapist-psychoanalyst and clinical director of the New York psychotherapy collective (212-358-1884, ny-psychotherapy.com), uses a range of techniques in her practice. These include “reflecting back” (“drawing the patient’s attention to an area that you want them to become more aware of by asking a question”), “active listening” (“listening to what they’re saying, but also noting what they’re not talking about—what they’re saying unconsciously”) and “interpretation” (“which is what you see in the movies, when the therapist makes dramatic conclusions from synthesizing a bunch of data—like, ‘Because your mother was crazy, you have this fear that you may become crazy, so you’re overly cautious when you’re interacting in this way’ ”). Kaplan explains that interpretation is all about making what’s unconscious conscious. “I use dreams and slips of the tongue,” she says. Watch your spoonerisms.

Where to find it: Dr. Kaplan says that a fundamental part of psychoanalysis is mere observation of human interaction (and what better place to do that than NYC?). “Watch people having a conversation,” she says. “Watch the physical language that goes back and forth, what turns people on and off. A lot of issues come out in communication.” She also recommends putting your story on paper. “Write about painful incidents and notice what feelings come up. Don’t push them away,” she recommends. Find a course at the Gotham Writers’ Workshop (writingclasses.com) or, for a more therapeutic angle, take a workshop with New York Writers Coalition (nywriterscoalition.org). Finally, if you want real therapy, find a local psychotherapist through the New York Psychotherapy Collective (212-358-1884, ny-psychotherapy.com).