Psychodynamic Psychotherapy in Colorado

What is psychodynamic psychotherapy?

Please allow me an opportunity to demystify psychodynamic psychotherapy. Psychotherapy (“mind/soul/spirit-healing”), commonly known as talk therapy, is a form of treatment for mental suffering. While people have always known the healing potential of conversation, it wasn't until the life of Sigmund Freud that a structured method of talk-based treatment was developed. Freud discovered that by talking with his patients, he could help them become aware of the unconscious mental processes that gave rise to their symptoms. Freud called his treatment psychoanalysis, and his first patient called it "the talking cure". For over 100 years, generations of therapists have worked to evolve Freud's ideas and methods. Today, the contemporary, most widely accessible version of this treatment is referred to as psychodynamic psychotherapy. Put simply, it's talk therapy rooted in the tradition of psychoanalysis. 

What Happens in psychodynamic Psychotherapy?

Treatment consists of a voluntary, gradual, and collaborative exploration of your mind and emotions in a structured setting with a professional who strives to be present, non-shaming, consistent, and respectful of your privacy. The patient is asked to freely speak their thoughts, dreams, troubles, feelings, memories, or whatever else comes to mind. The therapist's role is to actively listen, analyze, offer reflections, and maintain a relational stance that promotes self-understanding in the patient. The relationship that develops between therapist and patient is not a means to an end, it’s central to the process. On one level, the quality of the therapist’s presence creates conditions that helps authenticity to emerge in the patient. On another level, the interaction between patient and therapist is itself subject to exploration, as it's considered an important microcosm of the patient's relationship patterns. Some think of the therapist as a facilitator of the patient’s self-discovery process, helping them become a more integrated version of themselves.

How does psychodynamic psychotherapy help?

The "cure" in psychodynamic psychotherapy has less to do with being taught skills to manage symptoms and more to do with a relationship that helps the patient gain deeper familiarity with themselves and how their mind works. Psychodynamic theory suggests that mental health symptoms often stem from mental processes that occur outside of our everyday awareness. By reflecting on their inner lives with a supportive therapist, patients can come to know and be themselves more fully, giving them greater freedom in how they respond to patterns of thinking and feeling that were previously experienced as habitual or automatic.

Who is psychodynamic psychotherapy for?

Psychodynamic psychotherapy can be helpful for people experiencing a variety of difficulties, such as recurring relationship problems, identity confusion, loss, chronic shame, unmanageable fears, lack of meaning, or feeling disconnected from others. These problems can manifest as symptoms such as fatigue, emotional pain, feelings of emptiness, sleep disturbances, or puzzling patterns of behavior that are difficult to understand or change. Psychodynamic psychotherapy is likely not the best treatment choice for those experiencing active crisis, severe substance use problems, or active psychosis, as well as those who prefer a highly structured style of psychotherapy. People entering psychodynamic psychotherapy are in no way required to understand the nature of their suffering. More importantly, an openness to exploring and reflecting on one’s own mind and life may be an indication that psychodynamic psychotherapy could be a good treatment choice. If you’re unsure whether it would be a good fit for you, I’m glad to schedule a free consultation to discuss.