Psychodynamic therapy is a collaborative process. Individuals are helped to resolve their present day problems by developing a deeper understanding and insight into their situation. Therapy begins by looking at the way an individual is experiencing and coping with present day issues. The therapist and client will explore together the individual’s relationships, behaviours and ways of relating and whether these are effective in managing their emotional distress.
A psychodynamic therapist works with the understanding that some difficulties and ways of coping arise from repeating patterns of behaviour or creating relationships in a similar way from a young age.
During the course of therapy, the therapist will enable the client to develop better coping strategies to manage their concerns. The goal of therapy is to enable the individual to experience less anxiety, develop better self-esteem and maintain more satisfying relationships
Counselling and psychotherapy are often used interchangeably but usually counselling is used more often for short term therapy and focuses on one issue such as stress management.