Affording your own desire

The cost of psychoanalytic treatment is individualized because psychoanalysis itself is not a standardized, one-size-fits-all service. This is one of the main reasons that hindered the spread of psychoanalysis as a viable treatment in places where insurance-based healthcare is the norm. Insurance providers do not like services that are unpredictable - which is a problem for those patients who have unique issues (which, in my book, is all of them). Unlike other forms of mental health treatment that may follow predetermined structures, psychoanalysis is based on a process that unfolds uniquely for each patient. This means that the frequency of sessions, the duration of the treatment, and the financial arrangements must be adapted to the specific needs and possibilities of each individual. Rather than being arbitrary, this approach ensures that analysis can develop in a way that is sustainable for the patient, allowing for a treatment without unnecessary financial strain.

A fixed pricing model might seem more straightforward, but it would fail to account for the fact that each patient comes to analysis with different life circumstances, financial realities, and capacities for commitment. Some patients might require more frequent sessions, while others may work with a different rhythm. Some may have the means to pay a higher fee without difficulty, while others would be unable to continue treatment if required to pay a rigid, standardized amount. If the purpose of analysis is to offer a space where the unconscious can unfold freely, this space should not be dictated solely by external constraints such as financial pressures. Instead, the structure of the treatment should be established in a way that makes long-term engagement possible.

Beyond financial considerations, the individualized nature of psychoanalytic fees also reflects the ethics of the analytic process. Psychoanalysis is not a commodity that can be priced uniformly, as each one's desire for it has no norm to it, nor is it simply a service that the patient purchases in a transactional manner. The setting, including the discussion of fees, forms part of the analytic work itself. If a patient is charged an amount they can barely afford, the treatment risks becoming a burden rather than a space of inquiry. Conversely, if the fee is too low, the patient may not be fully invested in the process. Striking the right balance is essential, and this can only be determined through discussion between analyst and patient.

Ultimately, to pay for your own analysis is to bank on your own desire. the individualized cost of psychoanalysis is not just about money—it is about creating the right conditions for the analytic process to take place. By adapting fees to each patient’s reality, analysis remains accessible while preserving its depth and effectiveness. This ensures that treatment is guided by the patient’s needs rather than by artificial financial constraints, reinforcing the fundamental principle that psychoanalysis is a space for genuine engagement rather than a standardized service.