Psychodynamic therapy is the psychological manifestation of emotional and mental processes. It resides in the roots of psychoanalysis from the concept of ego psychology, self-psychology, to object relations. After the origin of psychoanalysis, it was developed as a shorter and smarter version. It aims at the foundation and formation of psychological processes and its implementation in real life. It is aimed at reducing the symptoms of psychological issues and reduces symptoms.

What is Psychodynamic Therapy?

It is a talk therapy whose main focus is to pay attention to the client’s perspective. Other therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy focus on reducing the symptoms at the moment by changing the cognition and thought processes, but psychodynamic therapy focuses on deep-seated urges, needs, and desires that might have contributed to the present condition of the client.

How to find a Psychodynamic Therapist

If you are looking to find the perfect Psychodynamic Therapist it is crucial to make sure that they have the appropriate qualifications, knowledge and experience. At Expat Therapy 4U we only accept therapists who have full professional proficiency in English and are highly experienced in working with people from culturally diverse backgrounds. The clinicians we approve share our values and commitment to provide high quality therapy to the expatriate community in the private sector across Europe and online worldwide. We strongly believe that therapy changes lives, and being accredited ensures all our therapists are qualified to a high standard. You can find a Psychodynamic Therapist who is insured to practice and accredited with a recognised membership body online here.

How Does Psychodynamic Psychotherapy work?

Psychodynamic therapists focus on helping the client find the right patterns in their thoughts, beliefs, and emotions to get awareness and insight into the current state. The patters that are on the focus in psychodynamic therapy are the ones that are developed in early childhood. The psychodynamic theory holds the idaea that early life experiences are the reason for many abnormal behaviours and thought patterns in later life. The functioning of an adult depends on how his/her childhood has been.

In psychodynamic therapy, the therapist helps the client become aware of the important pieces of the puzzle that are missing and out of focus. These puzzles, when solved, make the client who they are and give them a sense of self.

Psychodynamic therapy sessions are open-ended and intense, which are often followed by free association by the client rather than a planned strategy or fixed agenda. These sessions typically go like once a week and can last for about an hour. The difference between Freud’s psychoanalytic and this current psychodynamic therapy is that the former required a great investment of time while the latter is designed to be less intensive in this manner.

Psychodynamic therapy often has a pair of chairs instead of a couch and the setting is face-to-face with the client rather than the one where the client seldom sees the therapist. The therapist encourages the client to talk freely about whatever is going on in their minds and these thoughts and ideas are further probed and taken in-depth to the unconscious mind.

What is the Goal of Psychodynamic therapy?

The main goals of psychodynamic therapy include the awareness that must be given to the client to develop insight and to foster the understanding of the client’s beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and emotions of the current state with that of the previous experiences that usually go back to their childhood experiences.

This whole process is accomplished when the therapist guides the client through the resolution and examination of unresolved conflicts and the significant events that played the role but are left hanging.

The basis of psychodynamic therapy is that chronic mental problems are usually rooted in the unconscious mind and this must be brought to light to resolve the current issues. Catharsis is another effective way of dealing with such an issue where the client is encouraged to talk freely about anything that bothers him/her or that interferes with the mental balance. This understanding can help the client regain the lost balance.

What is the role of a Psychodynamic Therapist?

The basic role of the psychodynamic therapist to work with the client to discover the symptoms and their roots. It is the responsibility of the therapist to encourage the client to talk about anything without the fear of being judged or misunderstood. The client must be made aware of the recurring patterns that have been playing their role in the imbalance behaviour of the client.

Another important role of the therapist is to probe the client’s past through the discussion of childhood experiences and the memories that are long hidden in the unconscious mind. This form of therapy believes that experiences of childhood have a great influence on the present mental state.

What can Psychodynamic therapy help with?

Psychodynamic therapy is designed to deal with plenty of issues from general to specific, however, here are some of the issues that are being dealt with the help of this therapy for a long time:

• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Anxiety disorders
• Addiction
• Stress Disorder
• Self-esteem issues

What to expect from attending Psychodynamic Therapy sessions?

When you are in therapy, you will be encouraged to talk freely about your thoughts, feelings, desires, and whatever comes in your mind including your dreams and fantasies. Although the basic goal is to identify and reduce the symptoms knowing where the problem is rooted, the therapy also focusses on providing you elevated self-esteem where you will be able to improve your skills and talents. You will be able to have better relationships and the capacity for improvement after going through these sessions.

Not only within the therapy, but the client will also experience the benefits of the therapy even after the therapy is over. For some clients, the therapy for one or less than one year would be enough, but there may be some cases where long term therapy is required. In any case, psychodynamic therapy offers you a promising result where not only you will be able to identify your problems but also become better at handling the issues in the future. It is a sort of personality development where you will be able to see the life from a different and better perspective.

Find a Psychodynamic Therapist through the Expat Therapy 4U platform

The therapist observes the interaction the client has with the present therapeutic intervention and what can be done to provide more insight and improve the session. Psychodynamic therapy focuses on the behaviour of the client with the therapist as it determines their relationship in the outer world, such as with parents or peers. In short, the role of the therapist is to connect the dots with the clients and help them realise where things went wrong and what could be done to take a fresh start.

Further Readings on Psychodynamic Therapy

https://theinternationalpsychologyclinic.com/services/psychodynamic-therapy-in-london/

https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2010/01/psychodynamic-therapy