Psychoanalysis Unplugged

Psychoanalytic ideas unpacked.

Kristen Beesley Ph.D.

How to Handle 2022: A Therapist’s Boundaries

Wondering how to handle the expectations and stressors of 2022? This therapist recommends setting some boundaries, and saying "No."

HBO Is Smiling: A Psychoanalytic Take On Your Obsession with "Succession"

How writers of HBO's show Succession portray Freud's Oedipus complex.

Are You Rearranging Deck Chairs on Your Very Own Titanic?

Does your life feel like a sinking ship? Learn why rearranging the deck chairs didn't help on the sinking Titanic and won't help get to the heart of your problems today.

4 Steps for Productive Parent-Teacher Conferences

Back-to-school means back to parent-teacher conferences. While this can be super stressful for many parents, there are four ways you can make the most of these meetings.

When Denial Turns Deadly: A Psychoanalytic Perspective

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when a person denies the facts and truth, the outcome can be deadly.

COVID-19's Back-to-School Fears and Questions: Year Two

As kids head back to school, COVID-19 fears and stress follow them to the classroom. Here are some insights for parents as they face yet another school year under the COVID cloud.

When You're So Not Over the Pandemic

Are you experiencing stress that the pandemic is never going away and saddled with that "foggy feeling"? You may be suffering from PTSE.

Understanding Boundaries: What Is Projective Identification?

In uncomfortable situations with another person, it can be hard to figure out the source of the discomfort. Is it you or is it them? Learn more about projective identification.

What Is "Zoom Dysmorphia" and Why Does It Hurt So Much?

When you're on a Zoom meeting, do you stare at your face and criticize your features? You're not alone.

Why We Sometimes Feel Guilty for No Reason

Sometimes, feelings of guilt are rooted in envy. Learn more about this interesting relationship.

How to Spot Projection: Are Those Their Feelings, or Yours?

How to recognize projection, in yourself and others.

Signs of Tech Industry Burnout

Working in your tech "dream job?" Watch out for the danger signs of extreme burnout.

Help! I'm Becoming My Mother!

Can we stop repeating the mistakes of parenting past?

Awareness of Racism Has Increased, But Change Is Difficult

Consider these 3 ways to help illuminate and address unconscious racist attitudes.

When You've Lost Someone to QAnon

Have you lost a family member or friend to QAnon? Here's how to stay connected.

What You Can Do When Life Is Overwhelming

When life gets crazed, how can you find calm? Here are three tips.

Vaccine Hesitancy: Can We Talk?

Is someone you know hesitant to get the COVID vaccine? Here's what to do and not to do.

Even Your Therapist Is Tired

Living in a constant state of high alert has us all feeling exhausted. Here are some ways to cope.

New Parents: Fighting About the Same Thing Over and Over?

Anxiety can lead new parents to fight about the same thing over and over again. Here is what to know and how to be generous with each other.

Virtual Learning Is Difficult. But Is It Too Much to Handle?

Young children may have difficulties with remote learning, but here are some suggestions for parents.

COVID-19's Back-to-School Fears and Questions

Summer’s end typically brings excitement and fear about the new school year. This year is much different.

You Can’t Control the Coronavirus  

Is COVID-19 stressing you out? Here are 13 ways to help control how you respond to the pandemic.

Dating Pandemic-Style

Like so much else during this pandemic, online dating has changed. But perhaps those shifts are for the better.

Should I Send My Child Back to School?

How do we handle the back-to-school season in the age of coronavirus? Here is advice for parents on how to make a comfortable choice.

Who Me? Worried I’ll Get the Virus?

Not worried about coronavirus? Here are four ways your mind may be protecting you from anxiety.

The Twin Pandemics of Racism and COVID-19

Being black in America can be deadly on many levels.

Fighting About the Dishes? It Might Be About Something Else

Arguments with loved ones are often about something much deeper. Here is a tool you can use to better understand your emotions.

Six Ways to Make Teletherapy Work for You

Here are some ideas to help make teletherapy effective for you whether you are currently in therapy, returning to therapy, or seeking to begin treatment.

Was Freud “Gay-Friendly?"

Is Freud a hero to the gay rights movement or was he rabidly homophobic?

“Pandemic Fatigue” Takes a Toll on Relationships

The global pandemic takes a toll on relationships with self and others. Here are ways to cope with COVID fatigue.

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