What is Psychodynamic therapy?

Counselling | Psychodynamic therapy | WIMBLEDON | LONDON

Psychodynamic therapy aims to bring what resides within the the unconscious mind into consciousness. This type of talking therapy focuses on the ways in which early experiences in the relationships with family and important people in your life can affect your wellbeing and emotional development as well as shape the way you relate to yourself and others. In fact, 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 into our consciousness.

How does Psychodynamic therapy work?

Different techniques such as interpretations, transference and free association are used to help you to explore hidden unconscious conflicts and unresolved issues that are having an impact on 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, and this can very often promote a change in how you feel and behave in your current 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 enables you to explored and understand your past, present and future on a continuum; specifically, how your past experiences influence your present relationships and life choices.

This approach is usually described as a long-term approach given its characteristic of dealing with the unconscious. Duration of therapy typically range 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 wants to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the possible unconscious roots of their behaviours, for instance if you would like to get an understanding of 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: