Some providers, such as Dr. Morris, do utilize psychoanalytic treatments with appropriate patients and make use of lying on the couch.

However, lying on the couch isn’t for everyone. If you are curious about it for yourself, here are some things to consider

• The couch is used when the patient feels ready for it; there is no pressure.
• There isn’t a “right” way to use the couch. It’s a different experience for each patient.
• The couch can allow for levels of honesty that can refresh a patient’s life.
• The couch can facilitate self-acceptance and reduce inhibitions.
• The couch can be a place of freedom to discover deeper aspects of one’s pains and passions.
• The couch can help a patient become more aware of tension in their body.

One patient said that it helped her feel “freer” so that she could discover the sources of her shame. “I can say all kinds of things now that I wouldn’t be comfortable saying to your face,” she said, “Now, I’ve been able to explore things that I really needed to—stuff I avoided talking about with my last therapist. ”

If a person finds they are holding back honest thoughts, if they feel stuck, or if they are seeking to unlock unconscious motivations, perhaps lying back on the couch is just what is needed.