Psychodynamic counselling is a therapeutic approach that combines parts of many different types of analytic therapies. Psychoanalytical and psychodynamic therapies work on the idea that each individual’s unconscious thoughts and perceptions are developed throughout their childhood. These unconscious thoughts and perceptions affect their current behaviours and thoughts. Since the 1950s, a more intense, short-term form of psychodynamic therapy has emerged. Like psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic therapy, the aim of psychodynamic counselling is to bring the unconscious mind into consciousness.
This means helping you to recognise, experience, and understand your true, deep-rooted feelings, in order to help you resolve them. Based on the idea that our unconscious holds onto painful feelings and memories, psychodynamic therapy believes these are too difficult for your conscious mind to process. In order to ensure these memories and experiences stay below the surface, many people will develop defences, such as denial and projections. According to psychodynamic therapy, these defences will often do more harm than good.
Despite sharing the same core principles, psychodynamic counselling is typically a less intensive approach than psychoanalysis. Focusing primarily on immediate problems, it looks to find a quicker solution. While the primary goal of short-term psychodynamic therapy is very similar to psychoanalysis, rather than acting as a neutral observer of an individual’s personal development, a short-term psychodynamic therapist will be an active advocate of change. However, both approaches can help with a range of psychological disorders, helping you to make significant changes to how you make decisions and interact with others.
A psychodynamic counsellor will help you to gain better insight into your life and the problems you are experiencing here and now. By exploring these, your therapist can help you recognise recurring patterns, understand how to avoid distress, and develop healthier defence mechanisms to help you cope. With this insight, you can begin changing negative patterns and move forward. Psychodynamic counselling is designed to help individuals with a wide range of problems, though it is generally more effective in treating specific issues, such as anxiety, addiction, or a persistent feeling of loneliness. You can also get help with difficulties connecting with others, loss and disappointment, or sexual issues. Primarily used to treat depression, psychodynamic therapy can be particularly beneficial if you feel that you have lost meaning in your life, or are having difficulty forming or maintaining personal relationships.
Generally, this process tends to be quick and solution-focused, and sessions take place once a week, lasting around 50 minutes each. The number of sessions needed can vary from person to person, depending on individual needs. Long-term psychodynamic therapy can take a year or more, lasting 50 or more sessions. Brief psychodynamic therapy, another form of psychodynamic therapy, aims to achieve results much more quickly. This is often done by identifying a specific emotional area you want to focus on and exploring this first. Typically, a counsellor starts with 6 sessions, extends the process to 12 if needed, aiming to close therapy within a maximum of 30 sessions.