Psychoanalytic psychotherapy shares the same theoretical and technical background as psychoanalysis, but it is a less intensive form of treatment about treatment goals, techniques, and settings (frequency and duration of sessions) than psychoanalysis. In psychoanalytic psychotherapy, the therapist still deals with transference and resistance and maintains neutrality and anonymity, but there are differences in emphasized techniques such as free association and the interpretation of transference and resistance. Additionally, psychoanalytic psychotherapy typically involves sessions once or twice a week, whereas psychoanalysis may involve four to five sessions a week.
On the other hand, psychoanalytic psychotherapy is distinct from supportive psychotherapy, which primarily focuses on symptom relief, by emphasizing insight into repressed conflicts and the analysis of defense mechanisms. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is recommended as a treatment option for patients who are not considered to have sufficient ego strength to tolerate the temporary regression of the ego or strong transference reactions that can occur in psychoanalysis, as well as those with chronic, severe self-destructive behaviors. It can also serve as an alternative treatment for patients who desire psychoanalysis but are unable to receive it due to economic, geographical, or time constraints.