How long time does psychoanalysis take?

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Why is it important?

We still do not know why some analyses end after a few months while others can last for decades. Clinical experience teaches us that some patients who have started psychotherapy or psychoanalysis for various reasons do not get—or do not take—the time that would be needed for a deeper and lasting change, whereas others can stay in treatment for years without feeling that their core problems that brought them to analysis have decreased. We need more clinical reports and more systematic research to better understand the importance of time in each particular psychoanalytic couple. Perhaps there is no general answer to the question what makes some analyses much longer than others, and some other much shorter. As clinicians we know that each analysis is a unique and unrepeatable encounter. However, systematic studies of our clinical experiences of the varying duration of analyses can contribute to our understanding of the involved determinants and underlying processes.