Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic therapy is a branch of psychotherapy which draws on the theories of psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis helps people understand the root causes of their emotional distress. This is accomplished by exploring needs, unconscious motives and defensive behaviours. This type of therapy is also referred to as insight-oriented therapy since it focuses on unconscious processes and how they affect a person’s present behaviour.

The ultimate goal of this therapy is to make the patient aware of how past events influence their present behaviour. By examining unsettled conflicts and the symptoms which can arise from past dysfunctional relationships it is then possible to see how they then manifest themselves and evolve into issues such as substance abuse.

Psychoanalysis is based on a classic model which was developed by Sigmund Freud, a famous psychologist. He believed that the human awareness or “psyche” is made up of three levels of awareness: the conscious, the pre- or sub-conscious and the unconscious. Psychodynamic actually means “mind power” in Greek. Freud believed that our dreams and unconscious slips of the tongue are actually caused by our unconscious mind exerting itself over our conscious mind.

Freud felt that the unconscious mind carries feelings and thoughts which have been long forgotten. He believed that it continues to influence our behaviour and may include past experiences regardless of whether they are good or bad. This includes childhood experiences. The psychodynamic method of therapy is based on the assumption that the feelings and memories that are repressed are often painful and people are afraid to face them. Psychodynamic theory is often quite useful in treating various mental disorders.

To achieve some healing and a change in behaviour it can often take a long time. It is not unusual that a psychodynamic course of therapy takes as long as two years. This is due to the fact that this therapy method results in an overall change to personality and personal identity and can also integrate key developmental steps in learning. These missed developmental stages can theoretically result in an individual who is stuck at an early stage of emotional development.

Since Freud’s original theories were released there has been a great deal of further study on the topic. There are a few different schools of thought that still fall within the basic parameters of the psychodynamic therapy method. But in spite of the differences all methods tend to share the same principals which are:

·         Everyone has unconscious feelings. These are kept hidden by different psychological defence mechanisms. Because of these repressed feelings and emotions, issues can develop which manifest themselves in various ways.

·         The psychodynamic method of therapy studies repeated behaviours which will form a pattern over a period of time. Feelings that are expressed during the course of therapy sessions will often be linked to past experiences and feelings. The therapy sessions which a patient undergoes will be frequent, often weekly, and sessions can be conducted over a series of years. This is dependent on the condition of the patient and how quickly he or she responds to the therapy itself.

·         Therapists also examine their own feelings as a way of understanding the dynamics of relationships that they form with their patients. This is an important step since a patient is encouraged to speak and form associations freely during the session and give a voice to whatever happens to be going on in the patient’s mind.

·         Therapists tell their patients opinions on different interpersonal dynamics in the patient’s life. They seek to help the patient understand patterns that occur not only in therapy itself but also in daily life and their patient’s past. This especially applies to what happened in the patient’s childhood.

·         This method of psychotherapy works by helping a patient understand the dynamics of the therapeutic relationship. They will then use this understanding to make favourable changes in daily life which will have a positive effect on that patient’s life.

There can be some drawbacks to the psychodynamic method. There are patients who feel unable or unwilling to associate freely with the therapist. Also there are patients who find the therapy traumatic. Before beginning therapy, a good therapist will explain the process to the patient and assess whether the patient understands their own role in the overall process. The patient must also be made aware of the fact that he or she may experience some trauma or pain during therapy sessions. A good therapist can also tell whether the patient is at a stage in their life where they are too vulnerable and would thus be unable to handle the course of therapy.

Although the theory was first developed by Freud, variations on the methods of treatment were developed by such visionaries as Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, Otto Rank and Melanie Klein. These psychologists have written and published many books on the topic which detail a wealth of information about the psychodynamic theory and its therapeutic methods.