The term «psychodynamics» is usually understood as movement, unfolding, growth and decay, interaction and struggle of forces within the human psyche. Then the psychodynamic approach is an approach according to which the processes that are visible to a person, occurring in his psyche, are determined not by external circumstances, not by the mind or will of a person, but by the independent dynamics (interaction and struggle) of forces inside the psyche.
“We want not just to describe and classify phenomena, but we strive to understand them as a manifestation of the struggle of mental forces, as an expression of purposeful tendencies that work in accordance with each other or against each other. We adhere to a dynamic understanding of psychic phenomena.» — Z. Freud, Introduction to psychoanalysis.
The psychodynamic approach proceeds from the assumption that the human psyche has its own movements and interactions of energies that cannot be reduced to physiological or social influences.
Historically, everything began with psychoanalysis, proceeding from a dynamic understanding of mental phenomena «… as manifestations of the struggle of mental forces, as expressions of purposeful tendencies that work in accordance with each other or against each other» (3. Freud, 1915).
K. Jung, A. Adler, O. Rank, G. Sullivan, K. Horney, E. Fromm and many others worked in the psychodynamic approach. Today, in practical psychology, within the framework of these approaches, there are (among the most famous schools and directions) transactional analysis, psychodrama (as its variety — systemic constellations) and body-oriented psychotherapy. The desire for superiority, an inferiority complex are also concepts of the psychodynamic approach. Domestic personality-oriented reconstructive psychotherapy based on the psychology of relationships V.N. Myasishchev — a kind of psychodynamic psychotherapy. Existential-humanistic psychotherapy is similar. If you list all schools and directions, then the list is as follows →
The psychodynamic approach does not always give clear answers about the causes of what is happening and the patterns of flow, we are often satisfied with general indications of the directions for the search for such mechanisms. If over and over again, sometimes in a dream, sometimes in reality, strange images and memories come up to us, as if we are standing on the edge of a cliff and cannot decide to take a step forward, although we feel that we may have wings — we can assume that such pictures may be associated with such and such repressed desires. Understanding when and why you suppressed these desires and what these suppressed desires are now doing to you, you find yourself inside the psychodynamic approach.
The psychodynamic approach admits that some moments of our behavior, in principle, cannot receive simple explanations.
If we assume that the ideas of our ancestors live in us, that we live our next life from a string of our lives, then we will interpret our strange insights in connection with these assumptions. This is also a psychodynamic approach, although not related to any science.
The dynamics of internal energies is not necessarily deep, it can lie on the surface, be elementary for understanding. “Action is equal to reaction”, “The more you push, the more resistance…”
It is important to understand that simple dynamics are not synonymous with “unimportant”. The dynamics of distraction, or patterns of fatigue, are of the utmost importance, although it is difficult to classify them as deep dynamics.
On the other hand, deep dynamics is not a synonym for something necessarily important and significant. During auto-training of the highest level, color discharges begin to occur in the human mind. There is some regularity in them, we can assume that this is due to the dynamics of some internal, apparently deep energies, but it is difficult to say whether this reflects something important or is only “internal noise”.
Not all dynamics dictate a person’s behavior. While classical psychoanalysis describes cases where a person’s behavior was rigidly controlled by internal dynamics, was a necessary consequence of internal impulses and states, in Jungianism and the humanistic approach it often turns out that despite the influence of deep dynamics, a person’s external behavior can fully meet the circumstances, be socially adequate and within reasonable limits.
Some internal dynamics leave room for the person or his environment to carry out some activity (soft dynamics), others essentially dictate how the person will behave (hard dynamics).
Classical psychoanalysis describes cases when a person’s behavior was controlled by rigid dynamics, was the result of internal impulses and states.
In other approaches, the external, social behavior of a person fully corresponded to external circumstances, was adequate and within the framework, but internal dynamics were of interest as an expression of what is happening in the inner world, the world of feelings and relationships. This is Jungianism and a humanistic approach.
Why do psychologists and clients of psychologists have an interest in the dynamics of the internal energies of a person? Oddly enough, this is not an easy question. Knowledge of laws in science makes it possible (at least theoretically) to predict the course of the processes under study, but in psychological work this is practically not in demand. Sigmund Freud and his followers believed that the client’s understanding of his internal situation, his awareness of the internal conflict removes him, but this assumption was not confirmed: awareness may or may not affect what is happening inside us.
«The principle of the pendulum» — the cyclical change of mental states. The dynamics are known, understandable, but awareness of this dynamics does not change it much. “The principle of three days” — if you were offended, broke off the relationship and want your appearance “again” to be as emotional as possible, then you need to call on the third day after lunch. The well-known psychodynamics works: on the first day they are not waiting for your appearance, on the second they are waiting, but not hot, and on the fourth they will already forget you and will not wait. Therefore, you need to show up and call on the third day … So, the knowledge of these patterns has little effect on your experiences — psychodynamics works regardless of our knowledge of it.
However, it should be taken into account that for many clients it becomes easier simply from the fact that they received an explanation of what is happening, even if nothing really changed for them. In addition, simple curiosity and the desire of many people to delve into themselves cannot be ruled out.
Deep Psychodynamic Approach
It so happened that very elementary things, such as the adaptation of the internal tempo-rhythm to a change in the rhythm of life or communication of the interlocutor, although they are a typical manifestation of the dynamics of internal energies, are usually considered “for granted” and theories using them are usually not attributed to the psychodynamic approach. The solid title of “psychodynamic approach”, meaning a deep psychodynamic approach, is more often assigned to theories that describe non-obvious and unverifiable phenomena that are usually attributed to the unconscious life of a person.
According to the deep psychodynamic approach, the real guiding and driving processes of our mental life are unconscious, hidden from us. We tend to think that we are quite aware of the motives and reasons for our behavior, but this is called into question in a deep psychodynamic approach. Rather, it is assumed that the choice of this or that style of behavior, the inclination to this or that work, the features of our romantic ideal, habits and sexual preferences are often formed not by virtue of our conscious and controlled choice, but are only comprehended and formalized by consciousness — being already formed hidden spiritual processes.
At the same time, in the psychodynamic approach it is not a priori stated that the deep dynamics is an obligation of the collision of primary sexual drives with the reality principle. These can be the most diverse drives of both adolescence and even more diverse socially unacceptable drives and beliefs that have already been formed in an adult. In this case, understanding these conflicts, understanding them is the task of the psychodynamic approach, but Freudianism has nothing to do with it.
Dynamic (psychodynamic) psychotherapy is also known as psychoanalytic psychotherapy, insight-oriented therapy, exploratory psychotherapy. This approach in psychotherapy proceeds from the fact that the mental life of a person is only a surface, under which lies a huge, like an iceberg, foundation — the unconscious. And the unconscious lives in conflicts, the struggle of internal forces. The task of the psychotherapist is to help the client become aware of this dynamic, to become aware of his unconscious. See more →