Psychodynamic psychotherapy – for whom, what is it and what are its effects? WE EXPLAIN

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Psychodynamic psychotherapy is one of the forms of therapy for people struggling with various psychological disorders. The psychodynamic method combines elements of psychoanalysis and cognitive-behavioral therapy. It serves the purpose of identifying the conscious and unconscious reactions, behaviors and thought patterns of the patient. For whom is psychodynamic psychotherapy indicated?

Psychodynamic psychotherapy – what is it?

Each psychotherapy, regardless of its form, is designed to identify the source of the patient’s problems. They can be of a different nature, manifest themselves in a mental or physical malaise, and affect everyday life. Human psyche is an extremely complex mechanism, the operation of which depends on a series of interrelated processes. This means that, as in the case of a physical organism, individual processes may be disturbed. Correct diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders requires the selection of an appropriate methodology and implementation of psychotherapy. One of them is psychodynamic therapy.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is based on the assumption that the cause of psychopathological symptoms are unconscious drives suppressed by an internal censor who prevents them from manifesting in a healthy form in the patient’s life. Suppressed needs and drives look for some alternative escape route, generating neurotic symptoms. Psychodynamic therapy aims to bring these hidden drives and needs to light through the patient’s conversation with the therapist. Its task is also to weaken internal censorship, so that the patient can fulfill his needs in a healthy way (as long as they are not pathological in themselves).

What is psychodynamic therapy?

Psychodynamic therapy involves a conversation between the patient and the therapist. The patient indicates which problem he would like to talk about, and the therapist adjusts the way of conducting the conversation to this. Psychodynamic therapy should be based on bond and understanding (or at least willingness to communicate) between the patient and the therapist. The necessary condition for developing such a bond is the patient’s trust in the therapist and his faith in the meaning of the therapy as well as the intentions and skills of the therapist.

Psychodynamic therapy is based on the principles of classical psychoanalysis. The patient’s task is to talk about his problems, the therapist’s task is to interpret these statements and guide the patient through the meanders of his own psyche. He is to understand its conditions and mechanisms that generate specific behaviors, especially those unwanted and the source of problems. Some of them are the result of a specific way of thinking that the patient began to develop early in life. Certain patterns deepen in adulthood, which is why therapy so often requires an analysis of childhood experiences.

The therapist interprets the associations, memories and fantasies of the patient, draws attention to the issues that provoke his (the patient’s) psychological resistance and points to transference and countertransference (otherwise known as feedback transference – this is a situation in which the therapist responds to the transference occurring in the patient; it is one of the defense mechanisms of the psyche).

1. Also read: What are the types of psychotherapy? Indications for a visit to a psychotherapist

What is the purpose of psychodynamic psychotherapy?

The goal of psychodynamic therapy is to modify the patient’s belief system and character so as to reduce internal inhibitions (internal censors), and thus redirect the energy used by the patient to build pathological defense mechanisms to building constructive ways to meet his needs.

Thanks to psychodynamic therapy, it becomes possible to motivate the patient to establish interpersonal contacts and close relationships with other people. It also offers a chance to increase their ability to cope with stressful situations, failures and frustration. Patient in the result of psychodynamic therapy should understand the causes and mechanisms of their incorrect (pathological, self-destructive) behavior, and develop the ability to deal with them, and above all, to replace them with positive behaviors.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy – duration and effects

Psychodynamic therapy usually lasts for 2 to 5 years. The patient meets the therapist several times a week (even 4-5 times a week). Therapeutic sessions they last about an hour. Such frequency and intensity of contact is conducive to building a strong bond between the patient and the therapist, needed, among other things, to work out the transference mechanism (the patient transfers to the therapist his unconscious thoughts and problems related to a specific close person, for example, father or mother).

However, it should be remembered that the form of therapy depends on the patient’s ailments. In some cases, short-term therapy aimed at solving a specific problem will be better suited. On the other hand, in other patients, long-term therapy will allow for gradual determination of complex cause-effect relationships and development of an effective system of coping with the consequences. It is the disorders that result from difficulties in various areas of life that require the longest work.

The effectiveness of psychodynamic psychotherapy is high, as is the possibility of working out long-term effects. The results, however, depend on the individual situation as well as the relationship that can be developed between the therapist and the patient. Typically, long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy works best for people with deeper problems, because numerous visits increase the chance of changing thought patterns and making changes to everyday life.

Read also Fr. other psychotherapeutic methods:

1. Cognitive Behavior Therapy – How Does It Work?
2. Gestalt Therapy

In what cases is psychodynamic therapy used?

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is helpful in the case of anxiety neuroses and problems related to the lack of internal readiness to fulfill one’s own needs, which find a substitute outlet in the form of pathological symptoms – both psychological and somatic.

For example, the patient may suffer from some chronic disease that makes it difficult for him to make intimate contacts, while his strong unconscious need is to start a family and bond with another person. During psychodynamic therapy, the therapist helps the patient understand the cause of their fears (for example, it may be a strong fear of abandonment) and find advice for them. It may then turn out that the somatic disease that prevents the fulfillment of needs (manifestation of the internal censor) disappears or improves significantly.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is based on the premise that psychopathological disorders they have their source in early childhood experiences, and healing them requires accessing and working through memories related to these events. It is also appropriate for psychodynamic therapy to believe that internal representations of experiences arise on the basis of interpersonal relationships, so working through them will improve the patient’s ability to establish lasting and healthy relationships with other people.

Psychodynamic therapy also helps with mood disorders (depression) and, in some cases, personality disorders. It can be used as a therapy in the case of borderline personality disorder, social phobias and in the treatment of addictions and addictive behaviors. Supportive therapy works well in patients with psychotic symptoms (including in psychosis), but in their case it will likely be necessary to combine psychotherapy with pharmacological treatment.