Freud's couch

Freud's couch refers to the famous setting used during psychoanalytic therapy, where patients, often lying down, would relax and speak freely. Freud believed that this relaxed position helped patients access unconscious thoughts and feelings, which are often hidden from everyday awareness. By encouraging free association and reducing conscious restraint, the couch facilitated insights into unresolved conflicts, childhood experiences, and deep-seated emotions. It became a symbol of psychoanalysis, emphasizing the importance of a comfortable, non-judgmental space for exploring the mind's deeper layers.