Psychodynamic Therapy

What Is Psychodynamic Therapy?

Psychodynamic therapy is a form of talk therapy that empowers individuals to understand and resolve deeply rooted issues that affect their emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and relationships. An individual in psychodynamic therapy engages in free-flowing conversations with their therapist about the problems they’re dealing with in the present, digs into the potential roots of these problems in their past to gain self-awareness, and uses these insights to reclaim their agency in life.

Many people pursue psychodynamic treatment because they feel that their lives have become stagnant, and although they’re unhappy with their circumstances, they do not know how to change. They might not even know what they truly want out of their personal and professional life. Overall, they feel uncertain about who they are and who they want to become.

This uncertainty drives them to frequently move, change jobs, and seek out new romantic partners as they try to find an undefinable ideal. This endless search leaves them feeling exhausted and unsatisfied. Psychodynamic therapy can help people outline success on their own terms and gain clarity around their true desires.

The History Of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Psychodynamic therapy grew out of traditional psychoanalysis (1), which was developed in the late 1800s (2). Back then, psychoanalytic theories proposed that psychological conflicts are actually rooted in the unconscious, which helped people find relief from their symptoms.

Today, psychodynamic therapy has evolved significantly from its early roots. While early psychoanalytic practitioners focused heavily on uncovering repressed memories and unconscious associations through hypnosis, modern psychodynamic counseling has shifted dramatically from this approach. 

Instead, people in psychodynamic therapy can speak openly about the problems they’re dealing with, and their therapist helps them glean insights into why they hold certain beliefs about themselves or continue engaging in behaviors that only hurt them. Through intense personal inquiry, an individual can gain a newfound sense of agency in their own life and live authentically.

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Who Can Benefit From Psychodynamic Therapy?

Psychodynamic therapy can be helpful for people struggling with a wide range of issues, including depression, anxiety, past trauma, and maladaptive coping mechanisms. People who struggle with unhealthy relational patterns, personality traits, and intimacy problems in relationships can also benefit from this modality. Studies show that psychodynamic therapy is highly effective for treating a wide range of psychological disorders, with clients continuing to experience significant improvements even after concluding therapy sessions (3). Psychodynamic counseling offers unique benefits, allowing people to foster deep emotional exploration, uncover repressed emotions, identify and address self-defeating behaviors, assess whether their relationships meet their psychological needs, and freely discuss their reality as well as their fantasies. Ultimately, these insights will help them identify ways to change their lives and improve their circumstances.

In order to benefit from psychodynamic counseling, individuals must be willing to get curious about themselves and their past experiences while engaging in abstract thinking. Bridging the past and present, and understanding how these formative events have shaped one’s reality in the present day, is the key to gaining self-awareness, breaking negative behavioral patterns, and building healthier relationships.

My Background In Psychodynamic Therapy

I completed my doctoral degree in Psychodynamic Therapy from the European Institute of Research in Italy in 2009 and have been practicing with this approach ever since. I have continuously deepened my knowledge of psychodynamic therapy with advanced training in Europe and the United States.  

In addition to supporting individuals and couples through private practice on both continents, I’ve applied this approach in diverse settings, including psychiatric hospitals, forensic clinics, rehab centers for alcohol and drug problems, personality disorders clinics, and counseling centers for LGBTQ+ clients. I also teach courses on psychodynamic therapy at San Francisco State University.