If you have found yourself wondering about which mode of therapy is right for you, this article will help you to clarify some of the similarities and differences in various treatments while focusing on how a psychodynamic treatment is oriented to help you.

Psychodynamic treatment often focuses on the unconscious or unknown aspects of a person’s life. Unconscious aspects of a person can be found in dreams, impulsive actions, repetitive and destructive patterns, somatic or bodily symptoms, speech, or affect storms (rage, panic, ect…). The rise of an individual’s symptoms can be related to sources of mental pain, trauma, and one’s tendencies to defend against these pains through repression, suppression, denial, absence, or dissociation. A psychodynamic treatment focuses on helping individuals express and explore these areas while also holding an appreciation for the broader aspects of life.

If you are reading this and thinking, “but I wouldn’t go to therapy for the purpose of working on my unconscious. I need help with a specific issue…”, it is possible that an alternative therapy might appeal more to you. Psychodynamic therapists are equipped to consider and locate the deeper significance of your specific issue in order to “get to all of the roots of the problem”. If this seems like a daunting task and maybe not what you are looking for, it can be useful to familiarize yourself with some of the alternative forms of therapy and how they might compare to psychodynamic treatment.

Some of the most popular forms taught within the graduate school and post graduate training settings are: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), art therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness based therapy (MBT), person centered therapy, internal family systems (IFS), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), attachment based therapy, and trauma therapy. Most of these therapy modalities help provide a structure, model, and potential treatment plan for understanding one’s self and reducing symptoms. The truth is, these therapies can help you get things under control and provide a theoretical foundation for understanding one’s mind and life. Even in psychodynamic treatment, at times, the therapist might weave in ideas or practices that could be seen as taken from these treatment models; and interestingly enough, some of these models have included ideas from the psychodynamic and psychoanalytic tradition as well.

It is not commonly known that the richness and depth of psychoanalytic theory has penetrated what are recognized as the most empirically sound treatments. The father of cognitive behavioral therapy–Aaron Beck–underwent psychoanalytic training. John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, the creators of attachment theory, both underwent psychoanalytic training. The internal family systems model incorporates portions of psychoanalytic theories of the self. Recently, there has been a resurgence of empirical data and growing evidence in support of psychodynamic treatments for sustained and long-term mental health growth and self-knowledge.

Where psychodynamic or psychodynamic psychotherapy often shines brightest is in holding what is unexpressed, what is painful, what is dreamt, and what is absent within the therapeutic setting. These parts of ourselves might evade the aforementioned treatments and theories. Furthermore, psychodynamic therapists are equipped to understand and “hang-in-there” during suicidal, paranoid, delusional, psychotic, confrontational, enraged, non-verbal silences, or attacking behaviors. This does not mean that to benefit from a psychodynamic therapy you need to exhibit these behaviors, but it does mean you can potentially hold confidence in a psychodynamic therapist’s stability in difficult moments.

In summary, the public has benefitted from the antagonism between theories and approaches to psychotherapy because therapists have had to broaden their horizons and minds with knowledge regarding ways to approach treatment. On the other hand, the public has also suffered from a confusion about what therapist will work best for their specific needs in therapy. Contemporary psychodynamic treatment takes into consideration the failures of past treatment models and attempts to be more agile and synthetic in therapeutic approach.

Though a psychodynamic therapist might be quiet and observant as you speak–unlike the cliche’d and historical figure of the psychoanalyst–the therapist won’t fully abstain from discussion, advice, validation, and supportive measures or interpretation within the psychotherapy. The therapist is there to help you on your way towards greater confidence and awareness concerning your mental health.

If you’re encouraged to learn more about treatment or have an interest in consulting with us, please reach out to us at Wonder Institute for Psychological Health, Inc.

written by Jonathan Alvin

email: info@wonderpsychotherapy.com

phone: +1 331 806 3686