Different types of therapy are available to patients with mental illness, especially in the 21st century. Psychodynamic therapy is one of the three main types of treatment in combating depression. The other two are cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy.
Psychodynamic therapy is the type of treatment most people visualize when they think of how a psychologist treats patients. It is designed to help patients experience their full range of emotions. In particular, the goal is to access feelings that a patient is not aware of.
Professionals accomplish this goal by accessing the unconscious part of patients’ lives. This helps people understand why their mood and behavior become affected by unconscious feelings they are not aware of.
What Makes Psychodynamic Therapy Different
Psychodynamic therapy’s focus is different from the other two methods. Both CBT and IPT’s focus is to understand and change specific processes or behavior. Psychodynamic therapy, however, grew out of the theories and practices of Freudian psychoanalysis.
Freud popularized the idea that a person’s behavior is affected by their unconscious mind or past trauma/experience. As such, psychodynamic therapy is an intense open exploration of a patient’s feelings. Still, it is usually less intense than psychoanalysis. The patient typically sits in a chair, and the sessions are about 50 minutes.
In psychodynamic therapy, the patient is encouraged to speak freely about whatever is on their mind. The patient guides the conversations with the therapist. This allows for the unconscious mind to eventually show patterns in behaviors or thinking.
This therapy involves exploring the patient’s full range of emotions and feelings. This includes defensive behaviors or avoidance patterns.
There is an emphasis on the relationship between the patient and the therapist. The way the patient interacts with or reacts to the therapist can help the therapist see how they interact with their relationships in their daily lives.
The goal of this method is for the patient to determine their unconscious beliefs and patterns of behavior. It is a process of self-discovery, and the end goal is to reach more insight into how the patient functions. This allows people to explore what is on their mind and talk about whatever they want without worry because it is a more natural conversation.
Avalon Malibu has different therapeutic approaches to helping individuals recover. They use tailored techniques to whatever the person best responds to. Call Avalon Malibu today to get help at (844) 857-5992.
