Photograph by Paweł Czerwiński

Psychotherapy can be a daunting term, especially the "psycho" part. It evokes images of stuffy Victorian offices, therapists puffing cigars while inquiring about your mother, or even Norman Bates, the infamous hotel owner from Hitchcock's Psycho. But the origins of "psycho" run deeper, rooted in Greek mythology, where Psyche was the goddess of the soul.

During my graduate studies, I took a course called Psychodynamics with a professor named Mildred Dubitzky. This is where I gained some valuable psyche-education. Psychodynamic psychology emphasizes how our childhood experiences, both conscious and unconscious, profoundly shape who we become as adults. Originating from Freud’s psychoanalysis, psychodynamics has been met with mixed reviews—particularly Freud’s own ideas, often criticized for their misogyny. However, Mildred’s balanced perspective on Freud influenced me greatly. She presented him as a complex historical figure—both flawed and groundbreaking—whose theories shifted humanity’s understanding of itself. Mildred was also the first person I heard refer to “psyche-therapy,” highlighting the mistranslation of Freud’s work and the mythological roots of Psyche. One reading that stood out during that course was Bruno Bettelheim’s Freud and the Soul, published in The New Yorker.

From Mildred and Bettelheim, I learned that Freud used the German word Seele—meaning "soul"—when discussing the essence of identity, which he equated to the psyche. Psyche in Greek mythology is, of course, the goddess of the soul. In honor of Mildred, let’s step back and ask: what’s in a word? The term psychotherapy comes from the Ancient Greek psyche, meaning "breath, spirit, soul," and therapeia, meaning "healing" or "treatment." “Soul-healing” has a very different resonance.

Imagine searching for a “soul-healer” instead of a psychotherapist. What reactions do you have? Are there feelings, images, or sensations that arise? Some may question whether this work is grounded in evidence-based practice; others might feel uneasy due to personal beliefs or interpretations of the word "soul." On the other hand, some may envision a more holistic approach, a depth that the term “psycho” or “mind” fails to convey.

Given the ethereal nature of the word "soul," it's unsurprising that much of the poetic essence of Freud’s work was lost when Seele was translated to “mind” for American audiences. This mistranslation has contributed to divergent schools of thought, often aligning with either a medical or humanistic model. The medical model views clients as having disorders that need curing, whereas the humanistic model aims to depathologize the human condition, fostering an environment where self-actualization is attainable.

As a humanistic psychotherapist, I practice relationally, believing that the therapeutic relationship itself is the agent of change. My goal is to help you trust in your natural process, deepening your self-understanding. Together, we can explore and integrate unconscious content, alleviating psychic tensions that manifest as various challenges. Through this journey, I see you as a whole person—not just a problem to be solved. Inspired by Mildred Dubitzky, I prefer to call it psyche-therapy.