Psychodynamic therapy

Psychodynamic therapy aims to bring what resides within the unconscious mind into consciousness. This type of talking therapy focuses on how early experiences in relationships with family and important people in your life can affect your wellbeing and emotional development and shape how you relate to yourself and others. Early experiences can have deep effects that are mostly unconscious; the therapeutic work focuses on developing an understanding of the distress rooted in such experiences.

Specifically, a psychodynamic approach is centred on the belief that painful and traumatic memories, experiences and feelings in our early life, are stored within our unconscious mind when it is too difficult to process. As a result, we develop unconscious (involuntary) defences (such as projections, dissociation and denial) to ensure that these painful memories and feelings do not reach our consciousness.

How does Psychodynamic therapy work?

Different techniques such as interpretations, transference and free association are used to help you explore hidden unconscious conflicts and unresolved issues that impact your current behaviour and / or mood. Through this deep exploration of your early life, emotions, memories and experiences with time, you will become skilled in understanding and analysing your current difficulties. This can often change how you feel and behave in your existing relationships.

The goal of psychodynamic therapy is to help you understand your unconscious feelings and how you can overcome the limitations that might have been caused by these, lowering your unconscious defences. Psychodynamic therapy lets you explore and understand your past, present and future on a continuum, specifically, how your past experiences influence your current relationships and life choices.

This approach is usually described as a long-term approach, given its characteristic of dealing with the unconscious. The duration of therapy typically ranges from many months to many years, depending on the specific situation/needs of the individual.

Benefits of Psychodynamic therapy

Psychodynamic therapy is ideal for individuals who want to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the possible unconscious roots of their behaviours, for instance, if you would like to understand why you keep choosing unavailable/abusive partners or feel stuck in the same unhelpful pattern of behaviour. Further, psychodynamic therapy is ideal in the treatment of:

• Anxiety

• Bereavement

• Codependency

• Depression

• Low Self-Esteem

• Narcissism and Narcissistic Abuse

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD)

• Relationship Issues

• Trauma

• Childhood Trauma

• Repetitive Pattern of Behaviours

• Low Self-Confidence

• Emotional Abuse

• Physical Abuse

• Loss of Meaning and Purpose

• Life Adjustment Issues

Please get in touch with us to learn more about psychodynamic therapy or schedule an appointment for a free initial consultation.