Who makes GeistHaus.
GeistHaus is made by one person: me, Wes. I’m a software engineer in Chicago, and I built GeistHaus for myself.
Why I built it
For years I’ve been reading my way through the psychodynamic tradition: Otto Kernberg on object relations, Nancy McWilliams on personality, the clinicians behind the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual. Not as a practitioner. Just as someone who found it explained people better than anything else I’d read.
What I wanted was a place to think out loud with that tradition behind it. Somewhere that listens to how you talk about the people in your life, notices the patterns, and reflects them back when you’re ready. I couldn’t find one, so I built it. That’s Geist.
How it’s run
GeistHaus is self-funded, and you pay for it with a subscription. There are no ads, and your conversations are never sold. The privacy policy says exactly what happens to them.
What GeistHaus is, and isn’t
I’m not a psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist, and no clinician helped build Geist or reviews anyone’s conversations. What Geist knows about the psychodynamic tradition comes from the published writing in it, which this site sources page by page, starting with defenses and personality.
GeistHaus is for reflection. It isn’t therapy, a crisis service, or a substitute for professional care. If you’re in crisis, call or text 988, or see the safety page.
Get in touch
Write to me at wes@geist.haus. I read everything that comes in.