Freud and Lacan in Practice: An Introduction to Psychoanalytic Thinking
Written by the ICPS College Academic Team · Reviewed by ICPS College faculty · Last reviewed: September 2026
More than a century after Freud's first case studies, psychoanalysis continues to shape how we think about the mind, relationships and suffering. Its ideas run through counselling, psychotherapy, literature and culture. For practitioners, psychoanalytic thinking offers a way of listening that pays attention not only to what is said, but to how it is said, what is repeated and what cannot yet be put into words.
Freud: the unconscious and its effects
The unconscious: thoughts, wishes and memories outside awareness that still shape experience.
Repression and defence mechanisms that keep painful material at a distance.
Symptom formation as a compromise between wish and defence.
Repetition compulsion: the tendency to relive what has not been worked through.
Transference: the return of earlier relational patterns in the analytic relationship.
Lacan: returning to Freud through language
Jacques Lacan argued that the unconscious is structured like a language. His work introduces three registers: the Imaginary, the realm of images and identifications first described in the mirror stage; the Symbolic, the order of language, law and social structure; and the Real, what resists symbolisation altogether. Lacan also placed desire and lack at the centre of subjectivity: we are divided subjects, never fully present to ourselves.
Why these ideas matter clinically
Psychoanalytic concepts help practitioners hear the logic of a symptom, notice slips and repetitions, and understand why insight alone does not always produce change. They encourage a stance of listening without rushing to fix, which can open space for a person to say something new about themselves.
Theory and evidence
Good psychoanalytic education distinguishes clearly between theoretical concepts, clinical traditions and empirical research. Some psychodynamic approaches have a growing evidence base; other ideas are best understood as interpretive frameworks. Knowing the difference supports honest, ethical practice.
Study psychoanalysis with ICPS College
The Professional Diploma in Psychoanalysis is a live-online specialist programme carrying 60 CPD credits, covering psychoanalytic theory, Freudian and Lacanian concepts and clinical application. See also our guide to transference and countertransference.
Related ICPS College courses
Important information
This article is educational content for practitioners and learners. It is not a substitute for professional advice, counselling or therapy.
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