Psychodynamic Therapy

Who is Psychodynamic Therapy for?

Psychodynamic therapy (also referred to as psychodynamic counselling) is a therapeutic treatment approach. The roots of psychodynamic therapy lie predominantly in Freud’s approach of psychoanalysis, however further development of the concept and application of psychodynamics can be credited to Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, Otto Rank and Melanie Klein.

Psychodynamic Therapy can help people with a number of emotional, relational and psychological problems including low self-esteem, anxiety and depression.

How Does Psychodynamic Therapy Work?

Psychodynamic Therapy helps people to understand how past experiences and relationships (in particular those with their parents) influence their day to day thoughts, choices, feelings and behaviours. Distress is reduced by enabling people to disentangle themselves from unhelpful aspects of their past. Therapy tends to be open ended and carried out over the longer term (i.e. months and years).

“I began having therapy because I had been struggling with anxiety over a number of years. It had got to the point where I was agoraphobic, tearful and fearful of many everyday situations. Walking down the road to the shops or going for a five minute drive filled me with dread. Eventually I reached the point where I knew I had to do something. Deciding to have therapy with Dr Gray is one of the most important decisions I have ever made. Her care, professionalism and insightfulness really have changed my life. I’d recommend therapy to anyone who feels they’re struggling – and the truth is we all do struggle in some way. I used to believe having therapy was a sign of weakness. Now I think it’s just sensible, like taking exercise or having your car serviced. It keeps things running smoothly so that when life gets tough you can cope and when life is good you can enjoy it fully”.

ANNABELLE, Islington

What the Research into Psychodynamic Therapy Says

There is some evidence to support the effectiveness of Psychodynamic Therapy but it is limited compared to other types of therapy, such as the robust evidence base for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).