What’s the difference between a psychotherapist and a psychoanalyst?

michele said on June 15th, 2010 at 8:32 pm

A psychoanalyst is a type of psychotherapist. The psychoanalyst adheres to a Freudian theoretical orientation. A psychotherapist may adhere to *any* theoretical orientation or approach (including Freudian/psychoanalysis).

Psychoanalysts very often explore the meaning of dream/dream content. In fact, Freud called dreams “the royal road to the unconscious”.
Dr. Bob said on June 18th, 2010 at 5:12 pm

A psychotherapist is someone who conducts counseling using the theories and methods of psycho-dynamics…that is, an understanding of the inner workings of the individual mind and personality. More generally, a psychotherapist is a counselor. One need have no special or specialized training, experience, or education to be a psychotherapist.

A psycho-analyst is only one thing: Someone who conducts psychotherapy following ONLY the theories and methods of Sigmund Freud’s “psycho-analysis.” Such a person, up to recently, HAD to be a medical doctor, HAD to be a psychiatrist, and HAD to have had specialized psycho-analytic training. While psycho-analysts may work more with dreams than most other therapists, it is always from a Freudian point of view and does NOT involves symbols or codes or foretelling of the future. As Freud’s approach is being questioned more and more, there are fewer and fewer psycho-analysts, and more and more psychotherapists who have various kinds of training and interests.