Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is often misunderstood and thought as outdated or even extinct. Some of the original psychoanalytic ideas are outdated and extinct, but like any good theory it evolves as new research is conducted and as the world changes. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is rarely (if ever) practiced in the way that was originally created. Of course, it still has more to grow, but there are some central ideas that have remained.
However, many people teach the theories (particularly in undergraduate psychology classes) as outlandish and inaccessible, in part to taking the theory literally. If you read any psychoanalytic literature and take it literally, it does sound quite incomprehensible or even absurd! But when you read it thinking symbolically, it transforms into something much more powerful that can provide insight into the complexity of the human experience.
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is a therapeutic modality that focuses on depth and growth.
As a result, it takes longer and is a larger investment than other modalities that focus on behaviors (like cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT) or skill building. These other modalities can be very valuable for particular kinds of clients, but can leave those seeking greater understanding and personal growth wanting more. It has distinctive features as compared to other schools of thought in psychology.
Psychoanalysis, psychoanalytic psychotherapy, and psychodynamic therapy are all related and utilize the same fundamental ideas. They are distinct in terms of the amount of training for the psychotherapist, time investment from the patient, and utilization of theoretical concepts.
Regardless of whether it is psychoanalytic psychotherapy or psychoanalysis, these modalities take far more training and education in order to practice than other theories, such as CBT. For example, a certification in psychoanalytic therapy takes 1-2 years, which involves reading and regular classroom work. A certification in psychoanalysis takes a minimum of 5 years, which includes dyadic work, supervised clinical work, and a dissertation or clinical case write up. In contrast, a certification in CBT takes anywhere from 29 hours to 55 hours depending on the institute providing the certification.