Psychodynamic therapy
Submitted by:
Ribana Parveen.V
3rd Psychology.
What is psychodynamic therapy
◦ Psychodynamic therapy is an approach that involves facilitation a deeper
understanding of one's emotions and other mental processes. It works to
help people gain greater insight into how they feel and Think.
◦ By improving this understanding, people can then make better choices
about their lives. They can also work on improving their relationships with
other people and work toward achieving the goals that will bring them
greater happiness and satisfaction.
◦ Psychodynamic therapy is a form of talking therapy that has proven
effective in helping people dealing with depression, anxiety, pain, and
relationship issues.
◦ This treatment approach helps people see what is behind their problems by
giving them a better understanding of their unconscious feelings, thoughts,
and past experiences.
History:
◦ Freud invented psychodynamic theory during his clinical
work in the 1880s and 1890s. While treating a patient
through hypnosis, he found that her symptoms were greatly
reduced as she talked about childhood experiences linked to
the origins of her disorder.
◦ Early leaders in the field who contributed to the development
of this approach include Carl Jung, Melanie Klein, and Anna
Freud.
Psychodynamic theory:
◦ In the late 19th century, Sigmund Freud was working on his grand idea of the human mind and the theory
of human development. His theories laid the foundation for decades of psychological research and
practice. While many of these theories were eventually found to conflict with hard evidence gained
through scientific research, they formed the basis for psychodynamic theory and sparked a bold new school
of thought that still exists today, in a modified and updated form.
◦ He proposed that the human mind is composed of three parts:
◦ The id, which consists of instinct and forms the basis of the unconscious mind;
◦ The superego, or moral component that houses our beliefs of right and wrong;
◦ The ego, the mediator between the animal instinct of the id and the enlightened moral thought of the
superego.
◦ Freud hypothesized that these components grew out of certain stages in childhood development. He
believed humans are born with the id, develop the ego as a toddler, and add the superego around the age of
five. Freud’s hypothesis led him to the logical conclusion (based on his theory) that one’s personality is
firmly rooted in their childhood experiences.
Freud theorized three levels of the Mind:
1.The Unconscious: This level is where our instincts, deeply held
beliefs, and many patterns of thought and behavior reside; we are not
consciously aware of anything at this level, but Freud believed the
contents of the unconscious mind make up the vast majority of who
we are, what we want, and how we behave in order to get what we
want.
2.The Subconscious or Preconscious: This level is between the
conscious and unconscious, and can be called up to consciousness
with a purposeful effort from the individual; the contents of this level
are just below the surface of consciousness.
The Conscious: This is the level at which we are fully aware; Freud
believed this was the level with the least defining content, the level
that makes up only a tiny sliver of who we are.
Types of psychodynamic therapy:
1.Brief psychodynamic therapy:
In brief psychodynamic therapy is enables the client to examine
unresolved conflicts and symptoms that arise from past dysfunctional
relationships and manifest themselves in the need and desire to abuse
substances.
Brief psychodynamic therapy has been applied to situations like:
Rape;
Accident (traffic, physical injury, etc.);
Act of terrorism;
Acute psychological disturbances (like anxiety or depression);
◦ Traumatic family event (discovery of a secret, divorce, etc.).
2. Psychodynamic Family Therapy:
• This therapy is usually relatively long-term (versus
the shorter term family therapy based on CBT or IPT)
and often is instigated by chronic problems in the family
(rather than a significant event or the emersion of a
specific problem in the family).
• Like other psychodynamic therapies, this form focuses
on unconscious processes and unresolved conflicts but
views them in the context of family relationships. The
therapist will lead the family members through an
exploration of family history, especially any traumatic
family events.
3. Psychodynamic Art and music therapy:
• This non-traditional form of psychodynamic therapy involves the
expression of feelings and emotions through art or music.
• Alternatively, clients can actually create art or music in the session. It
doesn’t have to be “good” art or music, it only needs to convey the
thoughts or feelings of the clients in a way that makes sense to them.
• Through art and/or music, the therapist and client can build an
understanding and form an important bond. They may find that art
and music are better methods of deep communication than talking.
• This type of therapy may be particularly well suited for those who
are shy or otherwise find it difficult to talk, as well as clients who are
experiencing crippling anxiety or fear which music or art can help to
soothe.
Characteristics of psychodynamic therapy:
◦ Identifying patterns: Psychodynamic therapy helps people learn to recognize patterns in behavior
and relationships. People often develop characteristic ways of responding to problems without really
being aware of these tendencies. Learning to spot them, however, can help people find new
approaches to coping with problems.
◦ Understanding Emotions: Research has found that psychodynamic therapy is useful for exploring
and understanding emotions. Through gaining insight into emotional experiences, people are better
able to recognize patterns that have contributed to dysfunction and then make changes more readily.
◦ Improving Relationships: Relationships with others are a key focus of psychodynamic therapy. In
working with a therapist, people are able to understand how they often respond to others.
Goals and Benefits of psychodynamic therapy:
Goals Benefits
◦ Insight into unconscious conflict ◦ Decrease in symptoms of anxiety and depression
◦ Increasing self esteem
◦ Improvement in the use of mature
◦ Developing the ability to have more satisfying
psychological defenses and coping relationships
mechanisms
◦ Increasing confidence in personal abilities
◦ More flexibility in perceptions of and ◦ Increasing understanding of self and others
behaviors with other people ◦ Recognition and toleration of a wider range of emotions
◦ Improved quality of the patient’s mental ◦ Gradually becoming more able to face issues and
representations of relationships difficulties
◦ Better ability for the patient to comprehend ◦ Benefits that endure and increase with time
their and others’ mental states
