Dr Eva Birch

Philosophy & Vision

In modern life there is little time or space to dedicate to our inner world and any traumas or difficulties we might have experienced so far in our lives. Issues such as anxiety, depression, grief, relationship issues, and illness can get worse the longer they stay unaddressed. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy provides a container from which we can restore dignity and meaning to our symptoms and lead more fulfilling lives.

My extensive training and experience in psychoanalysis, as well as poetry, has helped me develop highly attuned listening skills. Meeting regularly with a trained listening other allows for the possibility of speaking freely, of saying anything and everything. This, over time, can lead to the alleviation of suffering.

I pay attention to what is unique and singular about each patient, listening with curiosity and without judgement, allowing your own rhythm and pace to guide the work.

Background

My PhD thesis focused on the work of Belgian Psychoanalyst, Philosopher, and Linguist Luce Irigaray. In my work as an academic I taught and wrote in the fields of literature and creative writing. Alongside my career in academia I also developed a writing practice which is ongoing.

Services

Therapy Approach

I use a psychoanalytic approach and am trained in the Lacanian approach. Jacques Lacan was a French psychoanalyst who emphasised the importance of listening to the speech of the patient (analysand). Within speech lies the analysand's history and unconscious desire.

During the course of a psychoanalysis, an analysand works frequently with their analyst usually over a relatively long period of time. The analysand slowly begins to shed some of their chatter and gets closer to previously unknown wishes and desires. Their symptom is eventually, after many repetitions, converted into a new form, one that may cause less suffering and/or allow them to begin to act more freely in the world.