Psychodynamic Therapy
You may be experiencing:
Anger
Chronic pain/illness
Grief or loss
Low self-esteem and/or low self-worth
Panic disorder
Postpartum Depression (PPD) & Postpartum Anxiety
School/work stress
Psychodynamic therapy can help people improve their quality of life since psychodynamic theory involves people gaining a better understanding of the way people think and feel. The idea behind this therapeutic modality is that this newfound comprehension will improve your ability to make choices that benefit you and will help build the path towards the kind of life you truly want to live!
What is psychodynamic therapy?
When you think of therapy, the thoughts and images that immediately come to your mind are mostly associated with psychodynamic therapy. The psychodynamic approach is traditional talk therapy. In other words, psychodynamic counseling involves having you talk about your problems with the help, support, and guidance of a licensed psychodynamic therapist. In psychodynamic psychotherapy, you will learn and develop the skills needed to address your problems by discussing them.
The psychodynamic approach embraces the complexity of your life. Its goal is to help you link the sometimes unknown or unconscious motivations behind some difficult emotions and behaviors you may be experiencing.
When you have this deep level of insight, you are able to alleviate your problematic mental health symptoms, feel better, and make better choices that will lead to a happier and more fulfilling life.
At Anchor Therapy, a private mental health practice in downtown Hoboken, NJ, we specialize in using the psychodynamic therapeutic approach to help our clients. On top of in-person sessions, we also offer psychodynamic psychotherapy virtually to residents of New Jersey, including Hudson County, New Jersey; Bergen County, New Jersey; Essex County, New Jersey; Montclair, New Jersey; Jersey City, New Jersey; Hoboken, New Jersey; and Weehawken New Jersey. In addition to New Jersey, our counselors are licensed to provide online therapy to residents of New York, and Florida.
How does the psychodynamic model work?
There are a few key principles involved in psychodynamic therapy, including:
Subconscious motivations (e.g., social pressure, psychology, and so on) can impact your behavior
Past experiences impact your present state
Past experiences affect your personality which determines your response to a specific situation
The psychodynamic theory of personality involves freeing yourself of your past so you can live in the present moment
When you expand your choices and enhance the personal relationships in your life, you are able to address your problems successfully
You can resolve your mental health issues by developing perception and emotional understanding of yourself
Another major component of psychodynamic counseling is transference and countertransference. As a client, you are expected to transfer your feelings onto your psychodynamic mental health counselor. Then, your therapist will redirect these emotions back to you. You may or may not notice this during psychodynamic therapy sessions as different therapists have different methods for doing so. Regardless, this is an essential part of the healing process as it presents you with the opportunity to become comfortable with the exploration of your emotions.
When practicing the psychodynamic perspective, the relationship between you and your licensed mental health counselor is extremely important. You can think of psychodynamic therapy as a bubble where you are able to drop the weights off your shoulders and carve out time for self-exploration. In psychodynamic therapy, you gain insight into yourself, your past, and your feelings. By enhancing these three assets, you gain a better understanding of how you view the world and the ways in which these factors affect your real-world experiences.
When exercising the psychodynamic theory, you will work alongside a therapist to understand your…
Feelings
Beliefs
Childhood experiences
Some basic goals of psychodynamic therapy encompass the following:
Recognizing self-defeating patterns
Exploring new ways of moving through the world
Helping you feel mentally, emotionally, and physically better
Who can benefit from the psychodynamic therapeutic approach?
One of the best aspects of psychodynamic theory is that it is applicable to many different populations!
Psychodynamic therapy can work with:
The focus of psychodynamic therapy is on relationships, and understanding your thoughts and emotions. Oftentimes, you may think it easier to push aside or repress certain thoughts and feelings, especially if they are uncomfortable, but that does not benefit your mental health in the long-run. In fact, suppressed emotions remain in the body, and the effects are serious.
When you do not allow yourself to feel your feelings, it can lead to serious mental health issues, such as:
How long does psychodynamic therapy take to be effective?
There are two main forms of psychodynamic therapy- short-term psychodynamic therapy and long-term psychodynamic therapy.
Short-term psychodynamic therapy:
Typically, short-term psychodynamic therapy lasts anywhere from six to eight months, or about 25 to 30 sessions.
Long-term psychodynamic therapy:
As the name suggests, long-term psychodynamic therapy takes a longer time to complete than short-term psychodynamic therapy. Long-term psychodynamic counseling may last for longer than one year, or for more than 50 sessions.
At Anchor Therapy, you will first meet with your licensed psychodynamic therapist for a one-hour long intake session. At the intake session, you and your therapist will discuss what brought you to therapy, your short-term goals and long-term goals, and how often you will attend therapy (for example, you may start seeing your therapist on a weekly basis and then go down to bi-weekly sessions if your therapist feels like you have made progress).
The bottom line is that your therapist will guide you towards the approach they feel is the best fit for you depending on your mental health concerns and your goals.
Is psychodynamic therapy effective?
When it comes to measuring the effectiveness of psychological modalities, it can be difficult. However, there is evidence to show that psychodynamic therapy is one of the most effective therapeutic methods.
Psychodynamic therapy is often compared to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, often simply referred to as CBT. CBT therapy is a popular form of counseling that aims to have people adopt healthier ways of thinking and acting by enhancing their visibility of their choices. CBT focuses on the model that your thoughts impact your feelings which inevitably impacts your behavior.
While psychodynamic therapy and CBT are both evidence-based therapeutic methods, they do have their fair share of differences. Overall, psychodynamic therapy is a form of talk therapy that highlights the unconscious mind and emotions, taking past experiences into consideration. On the other hand, CBT counseling focuses on the thinking and behavioral patterns that a client has.
Psychodynamic therapy can improve your life by helping you:
Address issues with avoidance
Enhance your sense of self-understanding which will help you break self-defeating behaviors and patterns
Improve your comprehension of the relationship dynamics in your life
Studies have even shown that, months after completing psychodynamic therapy, clients continue to see new benefits arise from this form of counseling.
An Example of Psychodynamic Therapy at Anchor Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy is a form of talk therapy that is proven to be effective in treating several mental health disorders and problems, including anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. The psychodynamic approach can help you see what is going on behind the scenes. That is to say, you get to see what is behind the problems you are facing by understanding your subconscious feelings, thoughts, and previous experiences. By developing these psychological skills, you can feel better and make better choices which will lead to long-term happiness and satisfaction.
Psychodynamic therapy in action:
One example of psychodynamic therapy in action can be a young adult female who seeks out psychodynamic psychology due to anxiety and depression. By attending regular sessions with a psychodynamic counselor, this young woman is able to identify her emotions and patterns of behavior.
For example, this woman’s anxiety and depression may lead her to feel restless, sad, and disinterested in activities she previously found to be enjoyable. Some behavioral patterns that may result from her mental health concerns could be avoiding people or places that make her feel anxious, and withdrawing from the world. The first step in psychodynamic therapy would be for this client to identify her emotions and explore her behavioral patterns.
In psychodynamic counseling, this female client will also discuss and inspect previous negative experiences which are impacting her current life. For instance, this client may have experienced childhood trauma which she never properly processed. By working with a psychodynamic therapist, this client will feel empowered to endure this kind of intense emotional exploration.
How To Get The Most Out Of Psychodynamic Counseling:
For the psychodynamic approach to be effective, you must feel comfortable with your mental health clinician. That way, your psychodynamic therapist is able to gain insight into your history, emotional status, and mental health. Of course, this type of trust comes with time which your licensed mental health counselor understands.
An additional key element of psychodynamic theory is focusing on the underlying cause of a mental health issue. By doing so, your psychodynamic mental health therapist is able to pinpoint dominant subconscious elements that are causing challenges for you.
What interventions do Anchor Therapy’s psychodynamic therapists use?
There are many types of psychodynamic interventions and techniques that can be used to enhance your self-exploration. It is important to remember that, since each client is unique, the approach that your therapist uses will be unique as well. Therapy is not a one-size-fits-all.
At Anchor Therapy, our psychodynamic therapists are trained to combine several effective, evidence-based therapeutic modalities to best serve our clients. Our clinicians know what best approaches to use to find the underlying negative experiences that are causing you to suffer with your mental health.
Some common interventions used in psychodynamic therapy include the following:
Breaking down the unconscious “walls”: Many people have created subconscious “walls” which stop people from reaching them emotionally. You may create these walls in response to a trauma or another deep challenge which can cause long-term consequences. In psychodynamic counseling, your therapist will often identify these walls and mention them to you in an effort to increase awareness. You may or may not realize that these walls are even present. Becoming aware of the walls and dissecting the reason for their existence is helpful.
Supportive-expressive therapy: Most often, supportive-expressive therapy is used for individuals struggling with addiction or substance abuse disorder. In these types of therapy sessions, a theme is named and explained. The relationship theme often relates to a negative experience one may have experienced in childhood. This negative occurrence most likely led to feelings of worthlessness or feeling unlovable. In psychodynamic therapy, your therapist can help explain the underlying reasons for a substance abuse disorder.
Free association: When a therapist utilizes this technique, you are asked to verbalize all of your thoughts. These thoughts can be a stream of consciousness. Namely, it does not have to make clear sense. Instead, this method is employed to help form connections that would otherwise appear to be unrelated on the surface.
Central focus: In the world of the central focus technique, you decide on a central focus, also known as a specific issue, that you want to focus on which will be approved by your psychodynamic therapist. The central focus is typically agreed upon by both you and your therapist during the initial visits or psychodynamic therapy sessions. After this specific issue is highlighted, you can begin to outline your goals and the framework for your sessions alongside your clinician.
In psychodynamic therapy, the primary goal is for you to become aware of the internal emotional and mental self, comprehending how your past experiences give life to your present self and current circumstances. Through increased awareness and understanding, you can make better choices which will improve your life.
Next Steps On How To Receive Psychodynamic Counseling at Anchor Therapy
If you want to feel like the best version of yourself, psychodynamic therapy can help! To reach out to us, fill out and submit the form below which will be directed straight to our Intake Coordinator, Victoria. Victoria responds through email to each and every inquiry that she receives. If we are not a good fit to help you then she will provide a referral to someone who can help.
Getting through your mental health struggles can feel like a difficult task. While it will take hard work, effort, and dedication, you luckily do not have to go through the journey on your own. At Anchor Therapy, our psychodynamic therapists are here with you each step of the way throughout your healing journey.
WORKING WITH US IS EASY
Fill out the contact form below.
Our intake coordinator will get back to you with more information on how we can help and to schedule an appointment. We will set you up with an experienced licensed therapist who specializes in psychodynamic therapy and who understands your needs.
You’ll rest easy tonight knowing you made the first step to improve your life.
