The term 'psychological-mindedness' has been defined in terms of cognition, goal, direction and availability, and this definition has been delimited from other terms used clinically and theoretically for grossly similar phenomena. Structures and functions which make up the processes of psychological thinking, dynamic influences of its use in psychoanalysis, pleasure in, defences against, and relationships between psychological-mindedness and culture, nosology, diagnosis and treatment are discussed with case examples.