Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? ~ Paul Gauguin
It increases self-awareness and insight, and fosters positive changes in our actions and relationships. It helps us live to connect with our real selves by resolving inner conflicts, enhancing self-esteem, and finding meaning and purpose in life. It benefits both people with psychological symptoms and those who wish to embrace the full richness of life.
Insight and Awareness
Psychodynamic therapy aims to increase clients’ insight into their unconscious thoughts, feelings, and conflicts. By exploring early memories and experiences, individuals gain awareness of patterns, defence mechanisms, and unresolved issues. This heightened self-awareness allows them to make conscious choices and modify maladaptive behaviours.
Transference and Countertransference
Transference occurs when clients project feelings and attitudes from past relationships onto the therapist. It provides a window into unresolved emotional conflicts. Countertransference refers to the therapist’s emotional reactions to the client. It helps uncover dynamics and provides material for exploration.
Working Through
Clients engage in a process of working through their emotional material. This involves revisiting and processing past experiences, often with the therapist’s guidance. By repeatedly examining and discussing these experiences, clients integrate insights and emotions, leading to resolution.
Symbolization and Verbalization
Psychodynamic therapy encourages clients to express their inner experiences verbally. Symbolization (expressing feelings through words) is essential. Verbalization allows clients to externalize and explore their thoughts and emotions, making them more manageable.
Conflict Resolution
Psychodynamic therapy focuses on identifying and resolving inner conflicts. These conflicts often involve competing desires, fears, and defences. As clients gain insight, they can find healthier ways to manage conflicting feelings and make adaptive choices.
Corrective Emotional Experience
Clients can experience emotions within the therapeutic relationship that were previously avoided or distorted. The therapist provides a safe space for clients to express and process these emotions, leading to healing.
Interpretation
Therapists offer interpretations to help clients understand unconscious material. Interpretations connect present experiences to past events. Effective interpretations facilitate insight and promote change.
Working with Resistance
Resistance (unwillingness to explore certain topics) is common in psychodynamic therapy. Therapists gently explore its origins and help clients overcome barriers to self-awareness.
Integration and Consolidation
Over time, clients integrate insights and changes into their daily lives. The consolidation of new perspectives and adaptive behaviours leads to lasting change.
Psychodynamic therapy prompts us to challenge our assumptions and broaden our perspectives. I believe that applied philosophies and committed actions can enrich our lives by giving us creative ways of thinking and living. I currently offer psychodynamic therapy in Wynnum Brisbane, face to face and online.
