Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a form of depth psychology, the primary focus of which is to reveal the unconscious content of a client's psyche in an effort to alleviate psychic tension. In this way, it is similar to psychoanalysis. It also relies on the interpersonal relationship between client and therapist more than other forms of depth psychology. In terms of approach, this form of therapy also tends to be more eclectic than others, taking techniques from a variety of sources, rather than relying on a single system of intervention. It is a focus that has been used in individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, family therapy, and to understand and work with institutional and organizational contexts.

Core Principles and Characteristics

Although psychodynamic psychotherapy can take many forms, commonalities include:

An emphasis on the centrality of intrapsychic and unconscious conflicts, and their relation to development.
Seeing defenses as developing in internal psychic structures in order to avoid unpleasant consequences of conflict.
A belief that psychopathology develops especially from early childhood experiences.
A view that internal representations of experiences are organized around interpersonal relations.
A conviction that life issues and dynamics will re-emerge in the context of the client-therapist relationship as transference and counter-transference.
Use of free association as a major method for exploration of internal conflicts and problems.
Focusing on interpretations of transference, defense mechanisms, and current symptoms and the working through of these present problems.
Trust in insight as critically important for success in therapy.