It’s not uncommon to hear comments like “I don’t know why I keep doing this.” Or “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

On some level, these thoughts show an understanding that unconscious motivation influences us. Unconscious motivation refers to forces inside us that shape our internal world and influence our feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.

It takes effort and skill to understand why we do what we do, what it means about us, before we can think about how to make changes. That’s what psychoanalysis can give you.

It all begins with an idea.