What is Psychodynamic Therapy?
If you’ve seen early forms of therapy depicted in film or television, you may have noticed some similar themes. Perhaps you’ve seen a client lying on a couch, staring at the ceiling, and venting about their frustrations. Behind them is often a therapist who nods along and often responds, “Tell me about your mother.” Although this portrayal of traditional therapy is overgeneralized and dramatized, it provides a glimpse into elements of psychoanalytic work - the earliest form of psychotherapy created by Sigmund Freud.
Fortunately for clients today, Freud’s early work laid the foundation for a more contemporary approach, psychodynamic therapy. Psychodynamic therapy helps people gain insight into their thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and key relationships to reduce their distress and improve their quality of life. Therapists who practice the more modern, psychodynamic therapy, make the process feel natural, collaborative, and comfortable.
Unlike traditional Freudian psychoanalysis, psychodynamic therapists sit directly across from their clients and maintain eye contact throughout the session, making the process less intimidating off the bat. Additionally, psychodynamic therapists provide clients with warmth and empathy to create a space that puts clients at ease.
You may be interested in working with a psychodynamic therapist if:
You are curious about how your early life experiences influenced your development into the person that you are today.
The challenges you are facing in your adult relationships feel like they are connected to early difficulties you experienced with your parents or caregivers.
You find yourself having painful emotions or memories that are hard to manage on your own that impact your behaviors and overall functioning.
And don’t worry - if psychodynamic therapy doesn’t feel right for you, that’s ok too! All of the therapists at Align are trained in multiple modalities and work with our clients to integrate therapeutic styles and interventions that work for each unique individual.