Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Using theories derived from Freud, Jung, Klein, Winnicott, Bowlby and others, psychodynamic psychotherapy focuses on understanding how our past experiences contribute to our current behaviours.
Psychodynamic psychotherapy was designed as a less intensive form of psychoanalysis, and is usually delivered once a week (rather than multiple times a week as in traditional analysis).
The client is encouraged to talk about relationships with parents and other important people, and their childhood experiences, so as to better understand and manage both conscious and unconscious thoughts and feelings. And as a result, improve current relationships and sense of wellbeing.
The psychodynamic approach often looks to resolve potentially maladaptive coping mechanisms; this is the idea that when you were young, you may have learnt certain ways of being or responding to situations that may still play out now, even though they are no longer helpful to you.
A lot of these maladaptive strategies are considered to, in part, be driven by the unconscious and so careful exploration of past relationships and experiences may be necessary in order to gain clarity over present day problems.
What can psychodynamic therapy help with?
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Low self-esteem
- Childhood difficulties
- History of abuse
- Relationship difficulties
- Addiction
- Self-understanding
- Destructive behaviours
- Childhood bullying
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Techniques in psychodynamic psychotherapy
- Free association
Generally speaking, psychodynamic therapy is non-directive and non-structured, allowing the client to move freely between topics.
- Transference
Transference describes when the client might treat the therapist as though they are someone from their past, for example, the therapist may become representative of the client's father or their friend. What happens between the therapist and the client throughout this transferential process can be used to deepen self-understanding.
- Countertransference
It was originally supposed that transference only went one way, that it was always the client transferring their feelings onto their therapist. However, this was updated to include the understanding that – of course – the therapist is also affected by the client and has their own personal material that may be activated.
This could either be something from their own history or it could be that the therapist is responding to the client's transference.
Working with transferential material can be challenging and complex, but it can also often be very rich and informative.
Training as a psychodynamic psychotherapist
Training as a psychodynamic psychotherapist takes around four to five years and includes undergoing personal therapy and clinical supervision.
There are also courses available in psychodynamic counselling, which are shorter-term, usually two years.
All therapists on Welldoing are verified annually as members of reputable professional associations to ensure a high standard of training.
Last updated October 2024
What is psychoanalysis?
Understanding childhood difficulties
Understanding complex PTSD
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