What is Psychodynamic Psychotherapy?

There are many various therapeutic approaches, from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). There is a significant amount of overlap among them. They share the concepts of developing self-awareness, insight, correcting distorted ways of thinking, and the ability to recognize and cope with painful emotions. What these approaches discount or ignore is what psychoanalysis calls the "unconscious" — the part(s) of our mind which are outside our conscious awareness yet can greatly influence our thinking and behavior, as research in cognitive science and neuroscience has conclusively demonstrated. In psychodynamic psychotherapy, the therapist helps the patient identify patterns in their thoughts, emotions, and behavior, and explores how these patterns relate to past experiences and relationships. The therapist may also help the client understand how these patterns may be impacting their current relationships and life circumstances.

Even though major components of Freud's theories are outdated (for example, that personal distress is always a result of inner conflicts involving sexuality and aggression), Freud revolutionized psychology by asserting that:

• Trauma can cause emotional and physical symptoms.
• Our experiences as children can greatly influence our adult lives.
• We can have complex and often contradictory thoughts, feelings, and motives.
• Emotional difficulties can be treated by talking.

Psychodynamic therapyAlthough psychoanalysis is still grounded in these concepts, it has greatly changed over the past hundred years, similar to how physics has evolved since the discoveries of Isaac Newton. Psychoanalysis is no longer a single theory, but rather a diverse group of related theories. I've found that a particular psychoanalytic approach, orginally developed by Heinz Kohut and expanded upon by Dr. Peter Zimmermann, called Intersubjective Self Psychology, is the most effective for symptom relief and lasting change. In particular, psychoanalysis takes into account how our past experiences live on in our present minds, often unconsciously, and influence the way we view the present. Any therapeutic approach that does not take into account the unconscious mind will inevitably be limited in its ability to reduce a person's symptoms. Psychoanalytic approaches draw from both the sciences and the humanities to address the uniqueness and challenges of each individual.