The Art and Science of Living Better
Your Secular Psychoanalyst
Online Psychoanalysis without the Woo-Woo
SHARED REALITY IN PSYCHOTHERAPY AND COUNSELING
You should be able to trust your shrink’s judgment
If you are an atheist relying on scientific proof and reason, you may find it difficult to trust a practitioner who accepts supernatural explanations or engages in magical thinking. Even if those beliefs never enter the sessions explicitly, they can leave you wondering how carefully that person distinguishes evidence from conviction. You are asking someone to help you understand your mind; being able to trust their reasoning matters.
My practice offers psychoanalytical therapy and counseling without the woo-woo. Our conversations combine careful attention to your experiences and the particular circumstances of your life with psychobiological understanding and scientific evidence. Sharing that basis means we can work without first having to negotiate what counts as real and natural.
THE APPROACH
What Is Psychoanalysis?
Psychoanalysis is a system of psychological theories and conversational methods for understanding and influencing mental life. We use the approach to explore and work through your past and present experience, identify connections and patterns, and work toward changes that matter to you. As a neuropsychoanalyst, I draw on psychoanalytic knowledge revised by modern biological sciences.
The conversation can be candid, ordinary, and funny, even when the subject is difficult. Painful feelings, irreverent observations, complicated situations, and the occasional bit of gossip can all share the room.
WHO I WORK WITH
Atheists Without Supernatural Beliefs
You don’t believe in gods, spiritual forces, or supernatural explanations. Astrology, manifestation, and cosmic intentions have no place in how you understand your life. Whether you describe yourself as an atheist, a humanist, a skeptic, or simply someone who relies on reason and evidence, this is the starting point we share.
My practice offers online psychoanalysis for your mental health and the difficulties you want to work through. You may be struggling with how you feel, something happening in a relationship, or a pattern you keep repeating. You may want to understand yourself better. We can begin with what concerns you, without bringing supernatural explanations into the conversation. You can speak in your own language, with your own humor, without having to adopt a therapeutic vocabulary or a solemn manner. Don’t expect much ceremony from me, either.
How We Work Together
My Online Practice
ONE TO ONE
Individual psychoanalysis
Regular, confidential video sessions in which we work with your emotional difficulties, relationships, and questions about yourself. The continuity lets us examine recurring patterns and work through what makes them difficult to change.
SMALL GROUPS
Conversations in small groups
Private meetings for atheists without supernatural beliefs, with room to consider your own experience alongside other people’s. You can discuss difficulties or questions about life, with people who share your atheist, nonspiritual outlook.
EDUCATION
Lectures, workshops, and courses
Accessible explanations of mental life, informed by psychoanalysis and biological science. We connect ideas with everyday experience so that what you learn becomes useful for understanding yourself.
Your Psychoanalyst
Malka Ceh, PhD
I am a certified (neuro)psychoanalyst with a PhD in evolutionary anthropology, and an MSc in psychotherapy science. I work online with atheists without spiritual or supernatural beliefs.
My approach integrates a psychoanalytic understanding of mental processes with biological perspectives on emotion, motivation, and personality development.
You can expect me to be involved, direct, and willing to ask an uncomfortable question. There’s room to disagree and room to laugh. We take your life seriously without the reverent tone and ceremonial solemnity that often pass for therapeutic depth.
I’m LGBTQ+ affirming, kink-aware, sex-positive, weight-inclusive, and neurodivergence-informed.
Poke Around in My Mind:
A Quick Tour of the Voices in My Head
The world is crowded with all kinds these days. I’m sure you’ve seen wild stuff. Before you spend too much time digging through my content to figure out my specific angle, I wanted to make the first impression easy. I put together a cheat sheet. It’s a punchy collection of insights that permanently swirled my mind and life. Grab it to see if my flavor of reality matches your taste.
Appointments & Fees
I’ll reply by email within 24 hours with available times or information about groups.