About Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
The type of psychotherapy I practice is called “psychodynamic.” Psychodynamic therapy may be referred to as “insight-oriented,” “psychoanalytic,” “exploratory,” and the shortened term “dynamic” therapy. But all of these terms refer to an approach which focuses on understanding connections between past and present experience. The idea is that events and relationships in our earlier lives shape the ways we continue to feel and act in the present, even though we’re often not aware of this influence. Symptoms such as anxiety, depression, fears, or problems in relationships are expressions of old conflicts we haven’t fully faced and understood. In this type of therapy you’ll get relief by learning how your problems reflect patterns that were laid down earlier in your life, and working through your feelings about them.
Answers to common questions about psychodynamic therapy
How does a psychodynamic therapist act?
All good therapists should be warm, empathic, reliable, non-judgmental, and
trustworthy. But your relationship with your psychodynamic therapist is a
special collaborative partnership. A psychodynamic therapist doesn’t impose an
agenda-- she facilitates, guides, illuminates, interprets, and sometimes even
explains— but mostly tries to follow the flow of your ideas and feelings without
trying to direct them too much. Inevitably this process will lead you to the important
issues that need attention. Your psychodynamic therapist will also pay special
attention to what is going on in the room between the two of you, since the
therapeutic relationship is like a controlled, concentrated version of all your
other relationships (past and present), and you can learn a lot about yourself
by studying it.
When is psychodynamic therapy a good choice?
Feeling better now is important in any therapy. But psychodynamic therapy also
aims for long-term growth. If you’re interested in examining your inner life,
this approach is for you.
I’m in crisis. Will psychodynamic therapy help me?
All good therapists know that to be helpful they must meet you where you are. If
you come to therapy reeling from a recent loss, newly diagnosed with a serious
illness, or having been physically assaulted, this isn’t the time for you to be
uncovering hidden conflicts. You need someone to help you focus on your
strengths and mobilize whatever supports might be available to you. On the other
hand, if your current trauma is reawakening feelings from earlier traumas in
your life, you’ll need a therapist who can help you make sense of that
connection. Psychodynamic therapists can do both: they can attend to your need
for support in the present while remaining sensitive to the ways the past is
being stirred up.