What Is Psychodynamic Therapy?

Psychodynamic therapy is a form of talk therapy. It is based on the idea that

talking to a professional about problems people are facing can help them find relief
and reach solutions. This approach to therapy also works to help people better
understand some of the unconscious motivations that sometimes influence how people
think, feel, and act.
How does it work?
Psychodynamic therapy is based on the following key principles:
1. Unconscious motivations — such as social pressure, biology, and psychology —
can affect behavior.
2. Experience shapes personality, which can, in return, affect an individual’s
response to that experience.
3. Past experiences affect the present.
4. Developing insight and emotional understanding can help individuals with
psychological issues.
5. Expanding the range of choices and improving personal relationships can help
people address their problems. Freeing themselves from their pasts can help
people live better in the future.
Characteristics
1. Identifying patterns: Psychodynamic therapy helps people learn to recognize
patterns in behavior and relationships.
2. Understanding emotions: Through gaining insight into emotional experiences,
people are better able to recognize patterns that have contributed to dysfunction
and then make changes more readily.
3. Improving relationships: In working with a therapist, people are able to
understand how they often respond to others.
Psychoanalysis & Psychodynamic Theory
1. Four conceptual domains help form psychodynamic theory
2. Freudian drive theory: The idea that our bodies are always trying to maintain
homeostasis (internal balance) and that if homeostasis is disturbed, we enter a
state where our focus is to correct it (called a drive).
3. Ego psychology: In psychology, the ego is the name for the "self." Ego
psychology emphasizes how the ego deals with its external environment.
4. Object relations theory: This theory is centered on our relationship with others and
how our relationship skills are based in our attachment to our parents.
5. Self-psychology: This explores our growth and development related to our early
life experiences
Techniques
In psychodynamic psychotherapy, there are a few attitudes and approaches that are
common:
1. Accepting: The therapist validates and accepts all aspects of the patient’s current
and past experiences.
2. Understanding: The therapist seeks to understand how the patient’s conscious and
unconscious thoughts contribute to their emotional problems.
3. Explaining: The therapist interprets and explains their understanding to the
patient.
Advantages of Psychodynamic Therapy
1. Increased functioning at and ability to find satisfaction with work
2. Improvement in self-esteem
3. Better ability to pursue long-term goals
4. Improved management of aggression and negative expressions of emotion
5. Decrease in symptoms of anxiety and depression
Limitations of Psychodynamic Therapy
1. It is not scientifically provable.
2. It depends on the therapist's interpretation.
3. It can be too focused on the past with a lack of focus on current issues.
4. It does not take into account one's ability to think and control their behavior.
In summary, psychodynamic psychotherapy is a method of talk therapy that
can help with multiple mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression. The
goals are to improve interpersonal functioning, self-awareness, self-esteem, and
symptoms of their underlying mental health disorders.