How Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Can Help You
by Associated Counselors
Recent research published by the American Psychological Association has found psychodynamic psychotherapy to be extremely effective for a wide variety of mental health issues, including anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, personality disorders, and clinical depression.
Moreover, this same body of research has shown psychodynamic therapy to be effective not only at helping people overcome the immediate symptoms they're experiencing but to be of benefit long after therapy has been successfully concluded.
According to the author of the study, Jonathan Shedler, Ph.D., of the University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, "The American public has been told that only newer, symptom-focused treatments like cognitive behavior therapy or medication have scientific support." However, "the actual scientific evidence shows that psychodynamic therapy is highly effective. The benefits are at least as large as those of other psychotherapies, and they last."
So, What Is Psychodynamic Psychotherapy?
The term psychodynamic psychotherapy describes more than just another form of "talk" therapy. Psychodynamic therapy actually describes a variety of depth therapy techniques that share much in common with Freudian psychoanalysis.
The primary focus of both psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy is to help clients access their subconscious in order to relieve psychological tension that is impacting their lives in the present.
In other words, psychodynamic therapy is a form of talk therapy that focuses on helping individuals understand and resolve the psychological roots of their emotional pain and suffering.
Less well known is the fact that the principles of psychodynamics actually predate Freud's theories. Freud actually adopted psychodynamic concepts and theories in order to incorporate them into his own theory of the human psyche.
Psychodynamic psychotherapy also tends to be briefer and less intensive than Freudian analysis, and it relies more on the healing power of the therapeutic relationship that is built between a client and therapist than other forms of in-depth psychotherapy.
Additionally, psychodynamic therapy tends to be more eclectic than other therapeutic approaches. Psychodynamic therapists often draw on a wide variety of clinical techniques and methods in order to help clients relieve current symptoms as well as develop the inner strengths and resources necessary to live healthier, happier lives.
How Does Psychodynamic Therapy Work?
When you first attend therapy sessions with a psychodynamic therapist, he or she will initially work with you to relieve the discomfort caused by the symptoms you're experiencing.
As your therapy progresses, a psychodynamic psychotherapist will use insight, free association, working through painful memories, and the dynamics and transference that occur in the therapeutic relationship you establish together to help you uncover, explore, and change the unconscious, internal conflicts and defense mechanisms that underlie the problems you're experiencing.
Psychodynamic therapy may be conducted in individual, one-to-one sessions with a counselor or therapist, or it can take the form of group counseling or family therapy, depending on your specific situation and needs.
Although psychodynamic therapies tend to be briefer than psychoanalysis and other forms of depth therapy, this doesn't mean that they are quick or that they don't require a significant amount of effort on your part in order to be effective.
Change is rarely easy, and creating the kind of positive, lasting change that is possible with psychodynamic therapy will require your time, commitment, and hard work.
That having been said, if you're willing to put in the energy and effort required you should begin to see the benefits of psychodynamic therapy within the first 8-12 sessions. However, you should be prepared to attend therapy for a longer period of time in order to fully resolve the issues you're experiencing.
The Benefits of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Various forms of counseling and psychotherapy share innumerable benefits when it comes to the effective treatment of mental health issues, especially when compared with the unwanted side effects and chemical dependency that so often accompany prescription medications.
But what makes psychodynamic therapy so different?
Health insurance companies and pharmaceutical manufacturers have financial incentives to promote the view that mental health issues can be reduced to a list of treatable symptoms. While this might make sense for some conditions, it ignores the emotional component inherent in people's psychological problems.
Unlike many forms of counseling and psychotherapy that focus on treating specific symptoms, psychodynamic therapy is specifically designed to relieve the emotional suffering that is caused by, and often underlies, people's mental health issues.
Psychodynamic therapy can help you:
- Better understand yourself and others
- Recognize, tolerate, and more effectively express a wider range of emotions
- Build more satisfying relationships
- Increase your self-esteem
- Effectively cope with a wide range of challenges and circumstances
- Learn the skills and tools you need to continuously improve over time
It is unfortunate that, until recently — and in contrast to the extensive research that has been carried out regarding the effectiveness of other types of therapy, especially cognitive therapies — there has been very little research into the efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy.
Fortunately, the research provided by Shedler demonstrates what psychodynamic therapists have long known to be true… Psychodynamic psychotherapy is extremely effective at helping people cope with and overcome a wide range of mental health issues and that, as Shedler stated, "the benefits of psychodynamic therapy not only endure but increase with time."
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