Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

A relational approach to lasting psychological change

In psychodynamic psychotherapy (sometimes called psychoanalytic pscyhotherapy), we focus on understanding the psychological problem(s) that led you to seek therapy. In sessions, your job is to share whatever is on your mind and be as open and honest as possible. I listen closely, working with you to develop a richer understanding of your life and the way your mind works. There are no workbooks, homework assignments, or pre-set agenda; instead, we talk about your thoughts, feelings, fantasies, dreams, and our relationship to better understand you as a whole person. In doing so, we discover new opportunities for meaningful change in your life.

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Empirical evidence shows psychodynamic therapy has equivalent outcomes to other popular treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Some evidence suggests its positive effects may be stronger in the long term than briefer treatments such as CBT (see this seminal paper for a review of the empirical research). Psychodynamic therapy has been found effective for treating most psychiatric disorders and is particularly well suited to address personality and interpersonal difficulties.

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While psychodynamic psychotherapy shares the theories and much of the practice of psychoanalysis, it differs primarily in two major ways: sessions are less frequent (i.e., 1-3 sessions per week compared to 3-5 sessions per week in psychoanalysis) and therapist and patient typically face one another when meeting. For more information on psychoanalysis, click here.